Storiesonline.net ------- John Carter by Lazlo Zalezac Copyright© 2004 by Lazlo Zalezac ------- Description: John Carter is a young man that meets the Goddess of the Druids while hiking through the woods. This story presents his adventures from helping people, inventing the Fusion Battery, to starting the Druid College. It is a story of life, love, and greatness. Codes: MF MM slow ScFi rom cons bi group interr oral anal toys creampie ------- ------- Copyright© Lazlo Zalezak, 2003 ------- Part 1: Shield, Staff, and Compass ------- Chapter 1 ... to cross that dark chasm that exists in heart and soul. There must be a greater meaning to your life than you have found thus far. So screamed an angry wind that held his heart in a frigid grasp. All he knows is what all men know. The fear of a little boy as he faces a larger one in a playground fight; more afraid of being called a coward than he is of getting hurt or losing. There is the pride and accomplishment that comes from building something new. There is the rush of power and that little thrill that comes with tearing down something old and rotten. There is the confusion that arises as a result of being asked what he feels by a woman he loves and the knowledge that his inability to answer arises from not knowing rather than an unwillingness to share. There are even simple things of life that define him, like the relief that spreads forth from his bladder when he relieves himself first thing in the morning. He knows that the urge to procreate exists in every part of his mind and body; it colors his whole view of the world. He remembers that thrill felt as a young man when he actually got his first feel of a woman's breast even though a bra covered it. There is the remembrance of the embarrassment felt as a teenager when he would get erect in class for no reason at all; the dread that everyone would know of his excited state and laugh at him. There is that sense of rightness in how his hand fits around his cock as he strokes his erection while fantasizing. There is the accompanying unease at the chance of being caught masturbating that drives him to finish as quickly as possible and abort the full potential for pleasure that the act promises. There is that catch in the throat when he looks down at a woman sucking his cock and sees that she is looking up at him with a smile in her eyes. There is that indescribable pleasure of entering a woman in that most intense act between man and woman. He fears the devastation that would come from having a woman laugh at the size of his cock or ridicule his performance as a man. He wants to deny that day when he finally becomes too old or ill to get an erection and thus prays that day will never come. He knelt beside the fire pit, a stone pressing into his right knee, irritating, but insufficient to force him to change his position. Ignoring his discomfort, he poked through the ashes looking for the dull red of a last remaining ember. In the pre-dawn light, even the faintest glow would stand out. Finding one, he worked it to the center of the pit with a small stick. He placed a small piece of dried moss upon the ember and blew gently. His breath coaxed the ember to glow a little brighter and the grayish-green moss began to smoke. Then, with the suddenness that always surprised him, it burst into a fragile flame with a weak wisp of smoke rising from it that was easily lost in the gray light. With the care that comes from long experience, he laid sticks across the wavering flame and blew gently as he resurrected the fire that had burned through the night. He rocked back until he rested buttocks on heals and gazed with simple pleasure at the result of his labor. He watched the steadily growing flame until he was satisfied that the fire needed no further care for the moment. Looking up, he watched day break over the eastern horizon; performing what had become a religious ritual. The unseen sun was lighting up the sky, painting it blue against the gray background that slowly spread upwards. He smiled at the lack of red on the horizon that according to sailor wisdom meant there would be no rain that day. A cold wind that lasted no more than three seconds disturbed the quiet air, bringing a chill that spread across his whole body. Every morning that wind blew through and he felt this indicated a magic moment. By the time the chills subsided, the sun broke the horizon signaling the beginning of a new day. Muscles stiff from holding the same position too long; he rose with great difficulty and examined the camp. From the leather case on his belt, he removed his compass and turning north strode fifty paces into the woods; chased by the barking of squirrels disturbed by this strange presence. He looked up and spied his orange backpack hanging from a rope thrown over a branch of a stately oak. The bright yellow of the ski tow line stood out in sharp contrast to the bluish gray background of the sky and the green leaves of the oaks. He followed the rope to where it was tied on a separate tree and pulled on the free end of the rope thereby releasing the knot. Lowering the backpack, he watched the swaying of the branch over which the rope hung. He marveled at the nature of the forces that translated his angular release into a gradual lessening of the forces sustaining the pack against the force of gravity. When the pack finally reached the ground he went to it and retrieved the rope. He coiled the rope and replaced it in its normal position. Hefting it, at least ten pounds lighter now then two weeks ago, he deftly swung it around while slipping his arms into the straps. Having performed the act several times a day for the past month, it settled into place very naturally. As he walked back to camp, he took a little more time to watch the antics of the squirrels. Bushy tails flattened behind, ears laid back, and a ferocious look pasted across their faces they barked their displeasure at him. These truly wild animals had not seen a human in at least ten of their generations. Unlike their tamer brethren that lived in and around cities, these squirrels would not eat any bread that he might leave out for them. Reaching his camp, he set down his backpack down next to his bedroll and carefully opened it. There on the top was his metal cup and the container of coffee. He filled the cup with water from his canteen, added two spoons of the extremely finely ground coffee, and two packets of sugar. He preferred the packets of sugar as it simplified measurement, storage, and left waste that was easily burned in the fire. After burning the paper from the packets, he threw several handfuls of dirt upon a portion of the fire. He set the cup upon the dirt. The dirt would heat up and form a natural medium heat that would brew a very strong Greek coffee in about 20 minutes. Seating himself on his bedroll and next to the backpack, he removed his well-worn leather-bound journal. Once it had that fresh leather smell; now it smelled of wood smoke, leaves, and sweat. He opened it to the first black pages and removed the pen from the penholder built into the spine of the book. Checking his watch, he wrote: June 21 6:45 AM I stayed up late last night watching the stars. The night was very clear and the stars presented themselves in all their glory. I never fail to have that sense of wonder that I imagine primitive man had when he first stared up at the night sky and realized that the stars were more than just décor but were something magical. The moon was full and so bright that you could have read a newspaper. Amazing what you see when you leave the lights of the city. Just before falling asleep, I saw a most amazing sight. Three meteors simultaneously raced across the sky perfectly in parallel with each other. They were well spaced so that I could easily tell which one was closest to me. The one closest to me was the smallest, the middle one was about twice the size of the small one, and the furthest was huge. There had been no meteors before that or afterwards. He took a moment to read what he had written and, satisfied that his entry had captured all of the events of the previous night, slipped the pen back into the holder along the spine. Removing the map from the back of his journal, he opened it and examined it for a couple of minutes. Reaching into the backpack, he removed the GPS and read off his location. He checked that against the point that he had marked the night before and nodded when the two locations matched. Folding the map, he replaced it in the journal and returned the journal and the GPS to the backpack. He glanced over at the coffee and saw that it wasn't ready yet; it never was by this time. He stood up and lifted up his bedroll. Holding along the long side, he shook it with a great snap to remove any bugs, leaves, or other debris that might be stuck to it. It took only a half a minute to fold it into thirds and then roll it into a tight bundle. He tied it with four strings that he retrieved from his backpack. Setting it down next to the backpack, he squatted and removed two small packages from it. The packages contained a small piece of sausage and the hard cheese. It wasn't much, but it was more than sufficient for a cold breakfast. He checked the coffee again and found that it was ready and very hot. Using his shirttail, he lifted it by the handle from the mound of dirt and set it aside to cool. Rich foam topped half of the cup. The aroma of the coffee filled his nostrils and brought back memories of the Greek woman who had taught him to make coffee in this fashion. He remembered the time she had made a cup of coffee with a distribution of foam almost identical to what was on the cup he was now examining. She told him that a major change in life was indicated. That same day an event happened that completely changed his life. Even now, the memory of that day brought a shudder to him. Since then, he never touched alcohol or drugs; he turned from drop out to determined student. Breaking away from his reflections, he took a bite of the sausage. His stomach twisted in response to the strong flavor of garlic so early in the day. He grimaced, but continued to eat. Alternating between bites of sausage and cheese, he slowly consumed his breakfast. Occasionally, he would take the time to sip his coffee enjoying the strong flavor and rush of caffeine. It wasn't long before he had nothing less than half a bite of sausage and cheese. He set them aside saying, "For the Gods and Goddesses." With a quick flick of his wrist, he emptied the contents of his coffee cup onto the remains of his fire. The sudden onslaught of wet coffee grounds threw up a cloud of steam laced with the heavy scent from coffee smoking amongst a few remaining coals. He added a small amount of water to the cup swirled it with a deft flick of the wrist and tossed the water onto the fire again. The last coals died with a protesting hiss. His cup was free of coffee grounds. He added more water to the cup and dunked his toothbrush into it. After a minute of vigorous brushing, he spat out the white foam into the fire pit. A quick sip from the cup and a general swishing of the water through his mouth was followed by another splash of water hitting the fire pit. The fire pit was now a mess of sodden ashes and half-burnt sticks. He drank down the mouthful of water that remained in the cup. It only took another five minutes of work and all of his possessions were packed into the backpack or tucked into his pockets. With a patient scan over his campsite, he assured himself that there was little or no trace of his stay. A small mound of dirt where his fire pit had been and a small piece of cheese and sausage were all that remained. The flattened grass where he had slept would stand again in a day or two. He took considerable pleasure in performing the strict routine of his morning tasks. It was after three hours of leisurely hiking that a chill ran up his spine He froze in place as he struggled to come to grips with the unnatural feel of his surroundings. Everything was too quiet. There was no wind and no birdcalls. He listened carefully trying to identify the source of his uneasiness, yet nothing reached his ears. As he looked around, it seemed as though the colors were too bright. The greens of the leaves, the browns and grays of the trunks and branches of the trees, and the blue of the sky screamed at him. There was a profusion of colors. The light hurt his eyes with their intensity. The sound of a branch moving struck him like a whip. His head swiveled to see what had caused the noise. He stared in shock as a naked woman stepped from the forest. A current of electricity raced through him. His cock went from placid to erect instantly and painfully. Time came to stop as she stood at an angle to him while allowing him to take in her beauty. She was the perfect woman incarnate. Her stance was one of complete ease and confidence. Her right leg supported her weight. The left leg was angled to the side; the toes just touching the ground. Her left hand rested upon her hip. There was no trace of embarrassment in how she presented herself to him although there was no modesty in her pose. Her skin was silky white and totally unblemished. Her light brown hair hung to the top of the most sensational ass that he had ever seen and partially covered her breasts. Her gravity defying breasts were the perfect size, not too big and not too small. The pencil eraser sized nipples were erect, rising proudly from the light brown aureole. Her face was perfect. Her eyes watched him with direct and piercing intensity, tempered with a softness that spoke of deep understanding of mortal frailty. The irises were the color of emeralds and shone with a light of their own. Her lips were a natural reddish hue that gave them a sensuality that no lipstick could ever achieve. Her lips, raised slightly in a wry smile, conveyed a sense of amusement. The cheeks shone with a natural blush. His gaze returned to her eyes and through them, he saw himself. He felt as though he were the one naked. He knew himself to be filthy from hiking for two weeks without a civilized shower. It had been two days since he had washed himself and that time was in a pitiful stream where the best that he could do was wet his shirt and wipe himself with it. The knees of his pants were permanently stained from kneeling in the dirt and grass. He was not really embarrassed by his physical appearance. That was minor. It was the fact the he knew his soul was laid bare for her to examine at her leisure. At that moment, he had an epiphany. He realized there was a significant difference between being naked and nude. Naked was being exposed and vulnerable to others. Nude was merely lacking clothing. She was nude and he was naked, although he still wore his clothes. Her secrets were still safe while his were exposed for all to see. She beckoned him to follow with her right hand. Dazed and confused, he followed her. He felt a panic rise on those few occasions when she would disappear as she walked around a tree. The panic would only subside when she became visible again. His erection never flagged. In fact, it seemed as though it was stronger with each step that he took. It became painful to walk. He had no idea how far or in what direction they walked when she suddenly stopped beside a ravine. He stopped next to her and stood there never taking his eyes from her. She turned and smiled. With an unexpected ferocity, she tore the clothes from his body. She moved with an unnatural speed and exercised tremendous strength. His leather belt snapped as the blue jeans were ripped off him. He never saw the shirt disappear, but knew that it was gone when shreds of it floated on the breeze around him. One moment he was dressed and the next he was naked with a painful erection reaching towards the sky. Before he even had a chance to react, she threw him to the ground and mounted him. There was nothing giving about this act. She was taking and doing so without any regard to his pleasure. She rocked herself on his cock. It felt as though she were trying to break it off. She grabbed his arms and squeezed painfully drawing blood where her fingernails had become embedded in his flesh. She growled like a wild animal and stared into the sky as orgasm after orgasm ripped through her. With each orgasm, her movements became even less gentle, although he thought it was not possible. Despite the brutality of the act, his body reacted. His arousal grew and soon he came within her. He convulsed as spurt after spurt of cum rocketed into her. He would never be able to recall how long he came, but it felt like hours. After he ejected the last blast of cum, she gently rubbed her hand across his face and dismounted from his cock. When the intensity of his orgasm finally diminished to a point where he was again aware of his surroundings, he looked up to see her towering over him. She pointed across the ravine to a tree. He looked in the direction she had pointed and saw a golden flash as a medallion hung from the branch of tree twisted in the wind. He looked back at her and again she gestured towards the medallion. He gazed at it and looked to her again. Now she frowned and pointed at the medallion a third time. Understanding crashed upon him as he realized that he was supposed to fetch the medallion for her. Confused and in pain from the physical pounding she had given him, he stood and walked to the edge of the ravine. In was only fifteen feet or so deep and thirty feet across. A beautiful blue stream, teaming with fish, snaked its way through the ravine. Lush green plants grew in great profusion. He lowered himself over the edge and carefully started to make his way down. He had to be careful to protect his naked body from further insult by the sharp edges of the stone comprising the wall of the ravine. When he had gone down about fifteen feet, he glanced down. The bottom of the ravine was still fifteen feet below him. Confused, he looked up only to see that the top of the ravine was fifteen feet above him. He continued to lower himself, glancing upwards occasionally. The edge of the ravine soon rose impossibly far above him. The bottom remained fifteen feet below him. He was taken by surprise when he finally reached the bottom. Stepping back, he looked up and saw that the edge of the ravine was only fifteen feet above him. He shook his head as though to clear it as he turned away from the wall of the ravine. His nose was immediately assaulted by the odor of rot and decay. Instead of lush green plants, plants that were pale and brown surrounded him. The plants were mushy and squished between his toes. He stopped for a moment wondering how she had managed to rip his leather hiking shoes from his feet. Steeling himself to the task at hand, he stepped carefully, making his way the few feet to the stream. What had appeared to be a blue stream was now shown as a muddy swamp clogged with algae and dead fish. He searched for stepping-stones, but realized quickly that there was no way to cross without walking through it. Taking a deep breath of the rotten air, he grimaced as he stepped into the muck. Each step released a horrible bubble of noxious gas that threatened to make him vomit. He marched for hours to cross the swamp. He was fearful that if he tried to turn back he would never make it out alive. At a point that appeared to be halfway through the swamp, he encountered a naked young girl, about eight years of age, crying to herself. He stopped and knelt down to put himself at eye level with her. He spoke softly and gently, "Hello there. Are you lost?" The young girl sniffled, "Yeah, I want out of this icky mess." "My name is John. What is yours?" The young girl paused for a minute and then answered, "Missy." "Okay, Missy, how about you and I walk in that direction for a while?" The girl started to cry even more, "I don't want to walk in this icky mess any more. I wanna go home to mommy and daddy." He stood there for a minute and considered his options. Not finding any options that he liked, he told her, "Why don't you climb on my shoulders and I'll carry you that way?" She smiled, "Are you giving me a horsy ride?" He nodded his head and knelt down for her to climb on. It only took her half a second to settle on his shoulders; legs hanging over each shoulder and her arms around the top of his head. He stood with more than a little struggle, and stated in as cheerful of a voice as he could muster, "Here we go!" Missy shouted out, "Yippy!" He started his march through the swamp. Each step sunk in deeper and it was hard work lifting his foot out of the work. He was definitely tired and this was going to tire him even faster. Each step led to larger releases of noxious gas than when he walked alone. As he marched, he thought about his situation. Here he was, a naked adult carrying a naked girl in the wilderness. The naked girl wasn't even a relative. When he got across the swamp and finally met up with someone, he was likely to be sent to jail as a pedophile. There was no way that he could relate the events that placed him in this position to any sane or rational person, much less someone who was outraged at the apparent offence. He would end up in jail, there was no doubt of that. There was no way that he could set her down and leave her here though. To do that would be a real crime and one that he would have to live with for the rest of his life. His morose thoughts and the sheer effort to take each step demanded all of his attention. So again, he was surprised when he finally made his way out of the swamp although the plants on this side were definitely more disgusting than they had been on the other side. There was no way that he would set the girl in that mess. He walked through the mess, watching as maggots wriggled in the mud and flies bit his ankles and legs. It was with temporary relief that he finally reached the wall of the ravine. He thought he knew what to expect now. Now he had to figure out how to climb up the wall and get the young girl up the wall as well. He set her down near the wall much to her complaints. She had been enjoying the ride through the swamp. He leaned down and stated, "Sorry about that, I have to rest before trying to climb up the wall. Can you climb a little?" Missy thought about it for a minute, "I'm afraid to fall." He thought about it some more and decided there was still a chance, "How about you climb up first and I'll be right behind you to catch you if you fall?" He took a minute to catch his breath and work some of the tension out of the muscles of the back. He helped the girl up the wall before reaching out to climb up the wall himself. As he climbed, the rock face crumbled under his hands. He had to take his time and work his way up carefully. Several times, the girl started to slip and he caught her before she fell much. The sudden strain on his muscles drained what little reservoir of strength that he had. Once, as he was reaching up to find a solid handhold, the rocks he was using for support gave way. He slid twenty feet down the face before catching something solid. He screamed out in pain at the cuts on the front of his body. He glanced down to see that his cock was a bloody mess. He was exhausted beyond human endurance. His body was racked in pain. The only thing that kept him from quitting was the knowledge that if he quit, there would be a little girl lost in this horrible environment. He climbed up to where Missy was watching him with terror in her eyes. He smiled, "Don't worry about me, I would have caught you too." Missy nodded, "Ok." They started to climb together, her leading the way and him right behind her ready to catch her a moment's notice. They climbed and the more they climbed the more determined he became to reach the top. Progress became measured in inches. Determination and focus on his goal drove him up the wall of crumbling stone. Muscles burned, each breath rasped in his throat and sweat running into his eyes blurred his vision. He was not surprised when he finally reached the top. He was unaware that he had reached the top until he realized that he was standing in front of the tree from which the medallion hung with the young girl standing next to him. He smiled down at her, "We made it out of that icky place!" She smiled, "Yea!" He turned to the tree on which the medallion hung and stated, "Let me get this, and then we can go find your home. Ok?" She frowned, "Do you think my daddy will be angry at me to find me without my clothes?" He ran his hand through her hair and answered, "Honey, he's going to be so happy to see you that he won't be mad at you about your clothes." "That's good. I don't like it when daddy gets mad at me. He's real big and scary when he gets mad." He thought about it. All he needed now was a big scary man finding him naked with the girl. Hands trembling he reached out and grabbed the medallion. Lifting it off the branch, he held it in his hands not seeing it. He stared at his hands. The little finger of his left hand was twisted into an unnatural position. The skin of both hands was torn and bloody. All his fingernails were broken. He looked again and realized that one fingernail had come off completely. Numbly he turned to face the ravine only to find the woman standing next to him. She smiled and pulled the medallion from his hands. With dignity and honor, she hung the medallion around his neck. In a voice that seemed to reverberate through the air, she said, "John Carter, it is time for you to rest." He woke leaning against his backpack beside a stream. His clothes were whole and clean. In fact, his clothes looked as good as new. There were no injuries and no pain. He was whole and clean as though he had just had a hot shower. His beard, grown over the month that he had spent out in the wilds, was trimmed and neat. His confusion only increased when he felt an unusual warm feeling spreading from the medallion hanging about his neck. He reached down and touched the medallion. Shaking his head, he said, " I guess it wasn't a dream." As though it was an affirmation, a wind suddenly blew through the trees. The leaves shook. They made a rustling sound as though a hidden audience was moving about. The branches of two adjacent trees banged against each other as though applauding. Chills raced up his spine. He shook himself and took a couple of minutes to collect his thoughts. He decided it wouldn't do him any good to try to puzzle out recent events, but that he did need to take care of the now. The first thing that came to his mind was that he had no idea where he was. He pulled out his GPS from the case on his belt and retrieved his map from the backpack so that he could check his location. To his surprise, he found that he was only a thirty-minute walk from the town that was his destination for the day. He didn't expect to arrive there until late in the afternoon. He checked his watch and was shocked to find that it was flashing random numbers instead of the date and time. The sun was directly overhead so that made it about noon. He replaced his belongings to their proper locations before standing up. Checking his compass, he headed towards town. He decided that he would eat a good meal, spend the night in a hotel and only then would he try to figure out what had happened this morning. Now that he had a plan, he resolutely set about executing it. He was almost in town when a thought that had been in the back of his mind forced itself to his consciousness, 'I was raped by a woman.' He revised that statement; he had made love with a tornado. ------- Chapter 2 It was a greasy spoon such as commonly built in the 1950's in small towns across America. There were six Formica tables; seats covered in green nalgahide. Along one side of the room ran a counter capable of seating ten people. Spaced along its length were the standard round stools; the kind of stool that allowed a kid to sit and spin. At every other stool were the napkin holder, saltshaker, peppershaker, and the sugar container that allowed you to pour out the sugar through a flap covered hole. At one end of the counter was an old cash register that was purely mechanical in its construction. Glass shelves, with a greenish hue when viewed on edge, ran along the mirror-covered wall behind the counter. Stacked in neat rows on the shelves were glasses, scratched from long use. There were water glasses, sundae cups, and tall glasses for milk shakes. The odor of grease hung heavy in the air. He didn't notice anything except a small vanity mirror by the door. The mirror didn't catch his attention, but his reflection did. The face that stared back at him was not the face with which he was familiar. A major portion of his beard had turned snow white; everything except for a four-inch wide stripe under his mouth. That had remained his natural color. Less noticeable was his receding hairline. He had started losing hair when he was twenty-two. Now his hairline had returned to where it had been when he was eighteen. The hair on his head was thick and luxurious again. His stomach tensed as he stared at himself in discomfort. He could feel a headache developing as he questioned what he was seeing, yet unable to deny what looked back at him in the mirror. He was a scientist and recent events were not conforming to any reality that he understood. A female voice interrupted his self-examination and moment of introspection. Not having heard what had been said, he replied, "Pardon?" "I said, are you going to stand there admiring yourself in the mirror or come in and get something to eat?" the woman answered. He turned and saw the woman sitting on a stool at the end of the counter with a newspaper opened in front of her. She was in her late thirties or early forties; but she was still a very nice looking woman who bore her maturity with grace and retained an obvious sensuality. She had the high cheekbones and the dark coloring that immediately identified her as having American Indian ancestry. Her jet-black hair was up in a bun; not the simple kind in which the hair was simply twisted, but the old fashioned kind that suggested very long hair. Smiling weakly to hid his discomfort, he replied, "I've been hiking for a couple of weeks and didn't recognize myself. Didn't remember being this ugly!" The waitress didn't find him ugly at all. In fact, she found his appearance intriguing. She laughed, "Well handsome, you want a table or would you prefer the counter?" "I'll take the counter if you don't mind joining me. I haven't had much opportunity to talk to anyone but squirrels for a long time," he replied. The knot in his stomach slowly loosened. "And you think that I'll be a better conversationalist than the squirrels?" Surprised at her answer, he grinned, "I don't know. They sure know a lot about nuts. It was nice to talk about myself so much." "Ugly and nuts, great!" she put the back of her hand to her forehead in a gesture like a heroine in a movie faced with imminent demise. His self-depreciating wit impressed her. Experience with men in the past suggested that he was actually very confident about himself and didn't feel a need to impress anyone with brash exaggeration. He would be the type of man that was goofy at times, considerate most of the time, attentive to others, and probably very good in bed. She shot back, "What was their advice?" "That I should be buried under some leaves and dug up in winter when they're hungry," he answered laughing heartily. His initial discomfort at the door was behind him. "Smart squirrels." "Speaking of digging things up to eat, I'm starving," he said as he threw his hands over his heart as though mortally wounded at her rejoinder. His comment was punctuated by an embarrassingly loud growl from his stomach. The waitress decided she like the young man and gestured to the chair next to her, "Sit here. The cook is out so all I can do for you is make a roast beef sandwich and give you a bowl of soup. Is that okay?" "That's fine," he answered as he made his way to the chair at which she had pointed. He swung the backpack off his shoulders and set it down beside the chair. The waitress headed into the kitchen to make the sandwich. As he sat down, the heavy weight of the medallion swinging freely under his shirt reminded him of the morning's events. He pulled it out to examine it. In the center was an imprint of a valley that looked a lot like the valley formed by a woman's legs. Above the image were the words, 'TO CROSS, ' while below it were the words, 'A CHASM.' He read the words aloud, "To cross a chasm." He turned the medallion over. The same picture was in the center. Above the imprint were the words, 'A CHASM, ' while below it were the words, 'TO CROSS.' Again, he read the words aloud, "A chasm to cross." He looked up and stared into the distance as he replayed the earlier events in his memory. He had crossed a chasm to reach the medallion. Along the way, he had rescued a child; a rescue that could have cost him his freedom for the rest of his life. He came up with a hundred interpretations concerning the meaning of the medallion and each was immediately shot down. He recalled the pain and exhaustion as he climbed from the ravine and wondered if that was to be his fate. A hand resting itself upon his abruptly interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see the waitress looking into his eyes with great concern. There was also a great tension present. In almost a whisper, she asked, "When did you get that?" "Today." "Ah," she nodded, "That explains a lot." He wrinkled his face in confusion, "What do you mean?" A far-away and slightly haunted look entered her eyes as she answered his question, "Like many women in my tribe, I started to gain weight when I hit my mid-twenties. I had really gotten quite fat. I lost forty pounds the day I got my medallion. I've never had to worry about weight since then. I looked at myself the first time I saw a mirror the same way you were looking at yourself." "So how long was I standing there?" "About ten minutes," she answered. Adding, "Eat. You're probably very hungry." "Did you get raped too?" he asked and then realized what he had said. His stomach clenched again. He quickly recovered, "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that. It was very rude of me." She looked at him in shock at the revelation implied in his question. She could see the tension in him. It matched the tension within her. This was something that she could not bring herself to discuss with others; even with others that had been through something similar. She worked to ease the building tension, "No, I wasn't raped and I'm not upset that you asked, so relax. I imagine by your question that you've been through a lot though." "I guess so. I don't know what it all means." He shrugged wanting to end the subject at that point. He realized that he didn't want to talk about his experience and got the distinct impression that she didn't want to talk about her experience either. Looking around he noticed the soup and sandwich on the counter in front of him and took a spoonful of the soup. It was minestrone. He sipped and then murmured, "Hmmm, good." Relieved at the change in direction of the conversation, she laughed, "That's supposed to be - 'M'm! M'm! Good!' It's Campbell's, straight out of the can." "Just the kind of woman that I like - handy with a can-opener," he replied. His hunger took over and he concentrated on eating. The waitress watched him eat. She knew from personal experience that he would never be able to talk about the events that had occurred to him. He needed to work off some his energy and tension. When he finally finished his sandwich, she proposed, "I'll tell you what. If you'll wash the dishes the lunch is free, but I've got to warn you that we've got a lot of dishes." He had more than enough money for his entire trip, but appreciated the offer. He was about to decline and then changed his mind. The chance to work for a while would make him feel better. He smiled, "Sure, I'll do it. By the way, my name's John Carter." "Nice to meet you John Carter. I'm Lily Green," she replied. "Lily Green. That's a pretty name," he commented pausing a moment to see if she was going to respond. Seeing the slight shrug of her shoulders, he added, "I guess I better get to work on those dishes." "Okay, let me show you around the joint," she replied. It only took her a few minutes to show him around the restaurant; pointing out the bins containing the dirty dishes and the sink. She watched as he carried the bins into the kitchen noticing that he stepped into the job like he had done it before. She returned to her stool and newspaper while he worked in the back. She spent some time considering the revelations that John had let slip and tried to work out the feelings that he must be experiencing. After a while she gave up recognizing that he would let someone know if he chooses or he would drop the subject forever. Regardless, it was highly unlikely that he would turn to her for comfort or explanation. The only thing that suggested he might turn to her was the fact that she had a medallion too. She turned to the newspaper. It didn't take her long to finish reading the small-town paper. Having wasted too much time, she started straightening up the restaurant for the evening rush (if the ten or so parties that would come in could be considered a rush). It didn't take her long to refill the salt, pepper, and sugar containers. She poured the ketchup of half-empty bottles into other half-empty bottles. After that, she refilled the napkin holders. Returning to the counter, she found that the silverware racks had been refilled. She hadn't noticed when John had brought them out. She started setting the tables when she noticed that the silverware looked a lot cleaner than normal. She shrugged it off and finished setting silverware out on all of the tables and along the counter. It was about this time that she realized he had been in the kitchen area for a lot longer than was required to wash the dishes. She called out, "Hey, you okay in there?" John's voice came drifting out from the kitchen, "Yeah, I'm almost done in here. Give me about five more minutes." Lily glanced at the clock and noted that the boss would be returning anytime now. She wondered what had taken him so long. There weren't that many dishes. She started to head back to the kitchen when she heard her boss shout, "Jesus H. Christ!" She ran into the kitchen in time to hear John reply, "No. I'm John. John Carter." The portly man stared at him in shock and then burst out laughing, "I'm George. George Ericson. Are you the one that cleaned up this kitchen?" "Yeah, I guess I got a little carried away." Lily looked around at the kitchen. It was spotless. The hoods over the stove were shiny. The floor was clean. The shelves on which the can goods were stacked had been washed. The dishwasher was spotless. She gasped, "My God, how did you get all of that done so quickly?" John shrugged, "I guess I had a little energy to burn off. I fixed the water heater. The wire to the upper heater was shorting out against the second refrigerator. That one will work now too. The dishwasher needed a little adjustment here and there. It's fine now." George stared open mouthed at John, "I had some guy out here last week and he said it would cost me $500 to fix the electrical wiring and that I would have to buy a new refrigerator." "No, the wiring was just a simple short. I would say that the fridge is working fine now. It should be cool enough for you to load it up with the dairy products in a couple of hours. I'm sure the health code stipulates that you can't store meat and dairy in the same refrigerator." George looked around for several seconds and then answered, "I never thought I would see it this clean again. It looks like the day after I took over the place from my dad. Wow." Lily shook her head in amazement. John had performed a minor miracle here. In an attempt to escape excessive thanks, John spoke up, "Well, I better get going. I'll be back for dinner. I noticed the pot roast in the oven; it looked very good." George who was about to thank John for all of his hard work found himself responding to the compliment, "It's an old family recipe." "Well, it sure looks and smells good," replied John. He continued, "It's been nice meeting you, Mr. Ericson. Lily, I hope I'll see you at dinner time?" "Ah, sure," she replied rather surprised at the sudden turn in the conversation. She realized that he was really rather bashful about being praised. She hesitated and then asked, "Where are you going?" "Um, I'm going to see about finding a campsite. I didn't notice a hotel so I've got to select a camp site before it gets dark." George and Lily were both rather startled by his revelation. George was about to offer his place when he glanced in Lily's direction. He could tell that she was daring herself to make the same offer. He smiled knowingly and waited for Lily to realize what she really wanted to do. Lily spoke up hesitantly, "I've got a spare bed. You can stay with me." John was about to decline what he initially thought was a polite, but not seriously meant, offer when he realized that she really wanted him to stay the night. He thought about it for a moment and then nodded his head, "If it's not too much of an imposition that would be very nice." Lily looked down a little shyly and replied, "It won't be an imposition at all." George looked around and suggested, "Lily, why don't you take him by your place and let him drop his stuff off. Even though it is a long way from here, I know you can be back before the dinner rush starts." Lily heard the smile in his voice and knew the joke. She answered in a totally serious voice, "I don't know. It is a long way from here." John, unaware of the undercurrent, earnestly interjected, "Hey, I don't want to be a problem. I can wait until you close to take my pack there." George replied with a smile, "She won't get into trouble. I know she can be back in plenty of time." Lily grabbed John's hand and pulled him out of the kitchen as she stated, "We had better hurry." As she dragged him past the chair he had occupied earlier, he leaned down and grabbed his backpack. She suddenly stopped and turned around stating, "I forgot, it's faster if we go out the back door!" John followed her puzzled. He shrugged as he passed a smiling George as they rushed through the kitchen. Lily swung open the backdoor and stepped through. John followed her through the door rather surprised at the energetic pace she was setting. He was brought up short when she halted suddenly in front of a Winnebago parked next to the door. As the door of the restaurant slammed shut behind them, she turned to him with a very large smile and said, "We're here!" "You live in a Winnebago?" He stared at it in confusion. This was the largest and best model they made. He wondered how a waitress in such a small town could afford it. He also realized the joke that had been playing between Lily and George. "Only when I'm on vacation." "You're on vacation?" he asked. "Yes," she replied, "George's wife has been sick. I stopped in here to eat and George was trying to do everything - cook, wait on tables, and bus. I stayed and talked to him after the lunch rush and found out about her condition. So, I volunteered to help for a couple of days. She'll be back tomorrow." "Wow, that's nice of you!" "You would have done the same." "Well, I would like to think so, but you never really know until the situation presents itself," he replied. John hoped that he would do the right things, but life had taught him many times that he didn't always recognize the opportunities to do the things that would make life better for those around him. There was the time when he had been visiting a friend at a hospital and met a little girl about to have an appendectomy. It wasn't until the staff had wheeled the girl away that he realized he had a toy in the pocket of his coat. He kicked himself once he realized that he could have given it to her as a way to take her mind off her pain and unpleasant circumstances. He realized that he could help George tonight. Lily looked at him funny for a moment as though she could see the self-recriminations passing through him and then asked, "By the way, what are you thinking about?" "I was just thinking that I might be able to run the kitchen and give George a night off," he answered. He then thought that it might be nice to spend a little more time with Lily. Lily laughed, "Now I wonder why I knew that was what you were thinking? I bet you figured you had nothing better to do tonight and that it might be kind of fun. Then the clincher was that you would get to spend the slow times in the evening with me." John actually blushed. Lily noticed and added, "Gosh, you are so cute!" The evening passed with a lot of lighthearted banter and harmless flirting. On more than one occasion, Lily had to explain to local customers, who knew George, that she wasn't flirting with him but with a young stud that was filling in for George. When one of the town gossips acted as if she didn't believe Lily, Lily reacted directly, "Hey, Studly Doright! Come out here for a minute." A slightly embarrassed John had peeked around the corner and answered, "Studly just left. I guess you have to settle for his cousin, Willy Do-OK." The laughter that followed assured that George would not be the next subject of gossip. Instead, she and John would probably be the subjects of wild speculations for the next couple of days. It didn't seem like any time passed before they were closing the restaurant at nine that night. Lily was amazed at how easily John worked in the kitchen. He had cooked like it was second nature and she had received many compliments on how good the food was that night. It was hardly ten minutes after she had locked the door that he had the kitchen in excellent condition. Dishes, pots, and pans were washed and put away. The floor was mopped and the trash taken out to the dumpster. He had to have begun long before closing time. While she spent her time closing up the cash register, John sat at the counter with his journal. He glanced at his watch and was dismayed that it was still generating random numbers. He glanced over at the newspaper that Lily had been reading and was shocked to see that the date on the paper was June 24. He woke up this morning, it was the twenty-first, and now it was the twenty-fourth. A sick feeling settled in his stomach, but he pushed it aside. Rather than deal with his feelings, he wrote his journal entry recording the events of the day as he had experienced them. That simple act of continuing his daily routine seemed to return a certain feeling of normalcy to his life. Finished, he watched Lily as she wrote out the deposit slips and finished the books. He studied her features carefully noting the look of extreme concentration as she counted money, receipts, and the cash register report. He found her extremely attractive. The outfit she wore did little to show off her body, but it was clear that she was well proportioned. Her breasts definitely filled her shirt, but not so much that she pulled the material into gaps between the buttons. He now estimated her age to be mid-forties. He was twenty-six and that made her old enough to be his mother. Upon stepping into the Winnebago an uneasy silence descended upon them both. The easy banter that had existed between them had evaporated. Minutes passed and the silence drug on. Finally, John asked, "Where do you want me to sleep?" Lily was silent for a moment and then nervously answered, "Why don't you take a shower while I fix up a bed?" "Okay," he replied, "Uh, where's the shower?" Lily opened a small door, reached in to turn on the light, and pointed into the smallest space that John had ever seen called a room. She saw the look on his face and laughed, "You will want to get undressed out here. You'll have to sit on the toilet seat to wash. Don't worry, I won't watch." Lily smiled and left after handing him a towel. After she had walked to the front of the camper, John looked around nervously. Although he was normally very much at ease with women, it was very seldom that he was intimate with them. He was the nice guy they always thought of as just like a brother. If they didn't think of him like a brother, then the chance of any kind of relationship was killed once the woman learned he was physics major. Sure, he had slept with a few women but it was never frequent or long lasting. He glanced towards the other end of the Winnebago and saw that Lily was seated facing away from him. He took a deep breath and then started to get out of his clothes. As he undressed, his cock started to get erect at the thought of being naked in front of a woman. He rushed to get undressed so that he could get into the shower before it got fully erect. Lily watched him undress in a reflection off a little mirror, quite impressed by his well-toned body and slightly amused at the panicked look on his face as his member swelled. The sight convinced her that there was only need for one bed tonight. She laughed aloud as she heard a thump and a muffled yell as some part of his body made contact with a wall in the shower. When the door had closed, she stepped to the back of the camper and retrieved an extra pillow from an overhead cabinet. She set it on the bed next to her pillow. Inside the shower, John had a minor shock when he looked down at his erection. It was now an inch longer and a lot thicker than before. He was in a quandary as to what to do about it and decided that masturbating in her shower wasn't quite right. He chose the cold shower routine. The frigid water hitting his body quickly stole his breath away and slowly shrank his erection. He turned off the water and soaped up. Once he had covered his whole body he turned the water on again and rinsed off. Before turning off the water he whispered to his cock, "Cock, you had better behave yourself! I don't want to sleep outside tonight!" After wrapping the towel around his waist, he opened the door and stepped out only to find Lily standing naked in front of him. His mouth dropped open as his towel immediately started to tent. Lily giggled and bending towards the tent in the towel whispered, "You had better behave yourself. He doesn't want to sleep outside tonight!" He stood with an open mouth staring at her body. It was glorious. Her breasts were nicely shaped, full and soft looking. Gravity had been very kind to her. Between her breasts hung a medallion that looked very similar to his. Her legs were shapely. Her bush was neatly trimmed. He wanted to step to her and gather her in his arms. His cock twitched in time with his heart. She stepped around him into the shower taking his towel as she passed. She called over her shoulder, "I hope I have some hot water left!" "Don't worry, I took a cold shower!" a furiously blushing John replied. Looking down at his fully erect cock, he muttered to himself, "A lot of good that it did!" "You just made an old lady very happy." "Oh, God! There's an old lady in here too?" he asked as he looked wildly around. As the door to the shower closed, he heard her reply, "You are so cute." It dawned on him what she had meant - she was the old lady. He stood there for a minute trying to decide what to do. After a minute, he still hadn't come to any conclusions so he stood there for several more minutes. Finally, he decided to find his bed and lie down in it. However, several minutes of searching led him to the conclusion that there was only one bed. His erection, which had been flagging, quickly perked up as he realized what that meant. He moved away from the bed to where he had set his clothes. Folding them nicely, he set them upon the backpack. He was about to reach inside for another pair of underwear when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Startled he swiveled around only to find himself staring at her immaculately trimmed bush and the clearly excited cunt below it. Lily watched him as his eyes drank in the sight of her most private area. He whispered, "Only the Gods and Goddesses can make a thing of such beauty." The words sent a tingle through her entire body. He stood and kissed her gently on the lips, his tongue brushing against her lips in a light, teasing manner. Her mouth parted, but he continued to explore her lips with soft kisses and gentle flicks of his tongue. Her breathing began to get heavy, her nipples stiffed, and her juices began to flow. When he began to slowly probe inside her mouth, she responded with her tongue. An erotic dance of give and take, explore and retreat, began. Gone was the shy awkward young man; having been replaced by a skilled lover. Lily never noticed how he had slowly moved her to the bed until he lay her down upon it. He moved over her, kissing a path from her mouth to under her ear. His medallion swung down in contact with hers producing an electric and erotic shock through both of their bodies. Time stood still. He kissed his way down her neck to her breasts; breasts that were slightly flattened by gravity. In the dim light, her dark aureoles topped by hardened nipples demanded his attention. He slowly worked his tongue around her breast working his way towards the nipple. Before he reached the nipple, he stopped and began the journey again. She finally grabbed his head and directed him to her nipple; letting out a sigh as she did so. As he kissed her, his hands swept across her body slowly tracing a path from behind the knee, to her buttocks, and ending at the just under her arm. Her body sung with pre-orgasmic tension; knowing that he was going to keep building that tension until it either became too much to handle or an amazing orgasm would wash over her. It was much later when an amazing orgasm that was too much to handle washed over her. Both of them fell asleep, still connected. ------- Chapter 3 He waved to Lily from where she had dropped him off as she drove away in the Winnebago. Lily had been kind enough to drop him off here where he could replenish his supplies and catch a bus. In fact, she had insisted that he visit this particular store suggesting that he would get outfitted with the items that he would really need. He watched her turn off the main road to one of the back streets. She was followed around the corner by the local Sheriff in his truck. Three days lost because of the Medallion and the two wonderful, amazing, days spent with Lily put him behind schedule. His plan had been to hike to here through the park and then to catch a bus that would take him to the next park he was planning to hike. Having her drop him off here put him back on schedule and, truth to tell, he wasn't all that upset about missing five days of hiking. The past two days had been spent in bed with Lily. It seemed like the only time they came out was to eat, but they had also worked the evening shift at the restaurant to allow George and his wife a chance to be together. He remembered the second morning when they had come in for breakfast how George's wife, Martha, had told them about going to a movie for the first time in twelve years. She was so excited that it had made all of the work worthwhile. Lily was the most uninhibited woman that he had ever known. She loved giving head and even swallowed his come with great enjoyment. That was a first for him. When she went down on him, her tongue touched all of the right areas. She caressed his balls with a gentle touch that only added to the excitement. She knew when he was about to come and took the opportunity to insert a finger into his ass. The sensation had sent him over the edge. When he looked down at her, she was looking back up at him with his cock in her mouth and a smile in her eyes. The only negative thing over the past two days was an increasing restlessness at staying in the same place. It was felt by both of them. Something was calling to them, directing them to go in different directions. He had always known the allure of wandering, but he had never felt it to the degree that built within him over the two days with Lily. It drew him on again towards the door of the store. He walked to the entrance of the store and held the door open for an elderly woman leaving. He entered the store and looked around. Laid out before him was an amazing selection of hiking and camping gear. This was not a normal store. It had everything from arctic to desert gear. There was a dog sled, mule packing gear, and mountain climbing equipment. As he wandered the isles amazed at the selection, the proprietor finally caught his attention, "Hey young man, you need to put your pack in one of the lockers at the door." John replied, "Sorry, I didn't realize. This is amazing. I have never seen so much camping gear in one place!" The proprietor smiled, "Well, I tend to wander a bit myself, so I stock everything I might need." John studied the proprietor and guessed he was about seventy years old. He was a short stocky individual, in excellent shape for a man even half his age. His leathered skin showed the years spent in the sun. Laugh lines around the eyes coupled with the twinkle in them identified him as having a good sense of humor. There was a little tension in his stance as if the man expected John to slip an item or two into his backpack. John walked over to one of the lockers and put his backpack in it. The proprietor visibly relaxed and suggested, "Let's get you outfitted with what you need. By the way, my name is Jed Hart." "I'm John Carter." "Well, John, what do you need?" "Actually, all I need is a good watch, some water purification pills, and matches." "I notice that you're packing light. How long do you expecting to be hiking?" "Well, I just finished a month in the park. I'm taking a bus down to the Big Bend to hike for a month there." "I'm impressed. Most hikers load up with every little gadget they can get," replied Jed. His respect for John rose. He had sold lots of useless stuff to weekend hikers and didn't have much respect for most of them. He asked, "How do you get by so light?" "Thanks, I found that carrying those butane gadgets didn't help over a long haul. It is too much weight if you carry enough to last a couple of weeks. Fancy tents are fine, but I like to watch the stars overhead. A simple tarp is enough for rainy nights and it is versatile enough to serve all kinds of uses. When I do carry something, I like it to be high quality, which doesn't mean fancy." "Smart," replied Jed as he lead John to the water purification area. He watched as John looked over the selection carefully before picking out the tablets. They were simple pills packed in a plastic container. There were thirty pills in a package, so he took two. Jed nodded appreciatively as they were the same ones he carried when hiking. He decided the kid knew what he was doing. He then led John over to the counter. There were matches and watches there. He watched as the kid picked out a simple set of matches with a light coating designed to keep them from crumbling in high humidity conditions. The matches came in a waterproof package. John pulled the watch from his pocket, "Do you have one like this?" Jed took the watch from him and noticed that it was generating random numbers. He was not impressed by the radio-controlled watch that set itself from the atomic clock. He expected John to have a more utilitarian watch that was shockproof and waterproof. He looked up at John and asked, "What happened to it? I've never seen one do that before." "I had a rather strange experience in the park and it started doing that," replied John as a shudder went through his body. He still had not come to grips with the events in the park. Jed studied John at the mention of a strange experience. He noticed the strangely colored beard and the distant look in the young man's eyes. He had an idea what that strange experience had been. He decided to approach the topic slowly, "Yeah, I have a couple of these. Why did you select this kind of watch?" "It has more to do with my work than with hiking," replied John. He added, "A more practical watch would probably be better, but again I like to pack light. That goes for the rest of my life as well." "Reasonable, I suppose," replied the proprietor. He revised his opinion of John upwards again. He pulled out a box that contained an identical watch and set it on the counter. He watched as John checked it out. John fumbled with the instructions and set the time zone on the watch. He watched as the watch finally picked up the signal and set itself. Now it was showing the correct date and time. "Great, I'll take it." "Anything else?" "Not that I can think of," replied John. He looked around the store at all of the goods. It really was an amazing place. He really wanted to spend some more time just wandering through the isles. As Jed rang up the purchase, he asked, "By the way, did that unusual experience in the park involve a medallion?" John started at the mention of the medallion. His hand went immediately to his chest where the medallion hung. He looked up to see a smiling Jed. Jed added, "I thought so. I won't ask for any details." "Thanks." For some reason, the fact that he didn't have to explain was a great relief. He didn't understand the great reluctance associated with telling the story of what had happened in the woods. It couldn't be the rape; that wasn't enough to explain why his mind shied away from the rest of the experience. John pulled himself together and paid for his purchases. He put on the watch at the counter as the proprietor disappeared. He walked over to the bin where he had put his pack. He was adding the rest of his purchases to it when the old man returned carrying a walking stick. "This is yours," stated Jed. He held out the walking stick. John turned around wondering about what the old man was saying. He hadn't forgotten anything. He noted the walking stick and asked, "Pardon me?" "I said, this is yours." John took the walking stick from Jed. It was a work of art. It was five feet in length. The wood was a polished jet black with a brass end-cap on the bottom. The top held a brass frame with a crystal held secure within its grasp. There was what appeared to be an inlaid opal near the top. Three brass rings circled it; spaced evenly along its length. The most surprising thing was its weight. It was relatively heavy. He whistled, "Wow, this is a beauty. I'm afraid it's not mine though." Jed smiled, "I made it and have been waiting for the right person to give it to. It is yours." "It's too nice. You should keep it for yourself." John couldn't imagine the amount of work that went into making it. Jed laughed, "No, I have one of my own. This one is yours. After all, we have one thing in common." "What's that?" "A medallion." "Oh," replied John. He thought about what that meant. He didn't know what to say. Jed took back the walking stick stating, "Let me show you some features of this stick. First of all, it is made of ironwood. That is the densest wood there is and it is practically indestructible. Insects can't eat it and water won't warp it. It won't knick except under the most extreme circumstances. You can hit a bear across the head with it and know that it won't break." "You will notice this opal here on the side near the top. Pressing it turns on a light that is refracted by the crystal giving you a nice sphere of light. The crystal is a Herkimer Diamond. Even though they call it a diamond, it is actually a piece of quartz. The light is located below the crystal and is powered by batteries that are recharged by simple up and down movements of the staff. Using the staff as you walk is sufficient to recharge the batteries. This is very useful in caves or when you absolutely must hike at night." Jed pressed the button and a soft glow came from the crystal at the top of the staff. John interrupted, "That is brilliant!" "There's more," replied Jed. He added, "It can be taken apart into three sections by unscrewing it just below the brass rings. The staff is hollowed out so that you can carry things in it. It makes it light enough to be useful. I'll let you decide what you want to put in there." "Thank you very much. Will you accept anything for it?" asked John very taken aback by the walking stick. "No, it is time for you to leave now. You have far to go and so little time to get there," replied Jed as he returned the walking stick. As John accepted it, it was as though a shock passed from Jed to him. Jed walked away leaving a very confused young man staring at his back. John stood there a second trying to make sense out of the old man's behavior. He realized that Jed wasn't comfortable with praise. He decided that the least he could do was give him a minor blessing and then whispered, "May the Gods and Goddesses watch and take care of you." Swinging his backpack onto his back, John headed out of the store. He was leaving as the Sheriff walked up to the store. He held the door open for the man, giving him a short nod of his head in greeting. The Sheriff returned his nod. John stopped and considered his options. Many little stores lined the street, but nothing looked like a bus station. He considered each store trying to decide which would be the best to ask for directions. There were a couple of clothing stores, a little restaurant, a hardware store, and a convenience store. He was surprised that there wasn't a feed store, but that might be on the next street over. He felt drawn to the convenience store. He considered going back into the sporting goods store to ask the Sheriff, but the idea of imposing on Jed again made him a little uncomfortable. He walked to the convenience store down the street to locate the bus stop. It was a small town and he was sure that who ever worked in the store would know the answer. He would get a soft drink as an excuse for being in the store. He didn't drink them very often, but it was a warm day and would be nice for a change. Using the walking stick seemed completely natural; it felt as if he had been using it his entire life. In use, the weight of the stick disappeared. He wondered why he had not used one before now. In a way, he felt as though it made him complete. He entered the convenience store. The first thing that he noticed was the young blond haired girl behind the counter. Her hair was cut short and she had it styled in spikes. She was the first one wearing her hair that way that he found attractive. He wondered what was the name of that hairstyle. She looked nineteen or so; with a nice figure. He wondered for a moment if her breasts were real, as they looked too big for the rest of her slim body. When she smiled in his direction, it was like the whole room lit up. He smiled back and nodded. Looking around the store, he spotted the soft drinks. The isle was rather narrow and getting at the drinks with the walking stick was awkward. He set it down. He slid open one of the doors to the refrigeration unit and knelt down to get one of the drinks off the bottom shelf. It took him a minute to get it out of the shelf. It was lodged in that area where the glass doors overlapped. He stood and let the door slide closed. It made a satisfying thud. He didn't remember picking up the walking stick, but it was in his hand. As he made his way to the front of the store, he noticed a very dirty kid about twenty standing in front of the register. His long and greasy hair was stringy. His clothes were filthy and ripped at the knees and elbows. They hung loosely off his body. As John approached, he could smell him. The young girl looked terrified. It took John a moment to realize that the kid was holding a gun pointed at the girl. He continued to walk towards the counter while studying the kid. He noticed that the kid's crotch was tented and he realized that the kid was sporting an erection. At first, he thought the kid was thinking of raping the girl, but then it dawned on him that the kid was getting sexually excited by the thought of killing her. As the kid raised the gun, John reacted before he even could rationally think about what he was doing. He ran to get between the girl and the kid. Time slowed to a crawl and he became aware of minutia in his surroundings. As he moved, he observed the box of Cracker Jacks on the shelf. The little logo announcing a toy surprise inside brought back memories of childhood. The details were sharp and the colors overly bright. A few steps later, it was a stain on the dirty linoleum floor that caught his attention. Like an inkblot in a psychological test, it made him think of a butterfly and wondered what a psychologist would make of that. Another step and he looked at the face of the kid. There was a zit on the side of his nose. The kid's eyes were focused on the girl. He wasn't even aware that John was in the room. He could see the kid's finger starting to squeeze the trigger on the pistol. Just as he got between the girl and the kid, the gun fired. The strange sense of time dilation held and he swore he could see the bullet as it traveled towards him. As the bullet tore through his shoulder, he spun and the walking stick swung in a wide arc. In slow motion, he fell towards the counter. The front was stocked with all kinds of gum and candies. There was nothing he could do to stop his fall. He hit headfirst on the edge of the counter. Just before losing consciousness, he thought that it was odd that he hadn't heard a sound from the moment that the door to the soft drinks had slid shut to now. It was the last thing that he remembered in the convenience store. Floating in a sea of warmth and tranquility, he looked down on his own body as it lay on an operating table. He watched dispassionately as the doctor and a nurse worked feverishly to restart his heart. Turning, he could see the other world. He moved towards it and found his way blocked by the woman from the park. She shook her head and pointed to his body behind him. He nodded and reluctantly returned. On waking, it felt like he had stepped into a bright light. He flinched as he looked around with blurred vision and a fogged mind. Nothing was clear enough to make out. His body felt heavy on him. The medallion lay on his chest pressing him into the bed with its' weight. A black shape blocked the light in his eyes. He shut his eyes and then opened them again forcing them to focus. His confused brain finally patched together the details; he was looking at a black man. He croaked out, "Issheoday?" His attempt to communicate was not very successful. He struggled to pull himself together and tried again, "Ish she okee?" "You're okay. I'm glad you're awake," the black man replied. The man's voice was very deep and resonant with a strong southern accent. John tried again with longer pauses between words, "Noo... Ish... she... okee?" A puzzled look passed over the face of the man and then he realized what John was asking. He answered, "Ah, you're asking if she's okay?" "Uh-ha," replied John wondering what was wrong with his mouth. He waited for a reply. "You'll have to talk to the Sheriff about that. Right bout now, you might want a lil sip of water to clear out that cottonmouth," he answered. The face disappeared from view for a moment and then returned. He held up a little glass with a bendable straw in it. He placed the straw at John's mouth and stated, "Now, you take lil sips or you'll get sick." Taking a small sip alleviated the dryness in his mouth. He had a little trouble swallowing, but guessed that would be normal. The second sip seemed to help restore his energy. He tried talking again, "Thanks." His voice was a little clearer and the nurse answered in his deep voice, "No problem! This is the third time you woke up and first time you spoke anything except a moan." "I don't want to complain, but aren't you supposed to be a brunette with a big bust, top unbuttoned one button too many, short white skirt, garters and white stockings, and threatening me with an anal thermometer?" The nurses' laughter rang out. It was loud enough and lasted long enough to bring another nurse in the room. With tears running down his face, he answered, "Shit, you're feeling fine. Don't you think I'd look ridiculous with my hair dyed brunette and wearing that outfit?" The other nurse discretely left the room to get the doctor. It was only a minute later before he arrived. He was the perfect Dr. Marcus Welby type, but lacked the bedside manner. Before John even had a chance to react to his arrival, the doctor was prodding and probing various parts of his body. The stethoscope was absurdly cold and John's reaction to it prompted a glare from the doctor. He finally stepped back and stated the sound that all patients hate, "Humm." "So doc, am I gonna live or will I die again?" "You died before?" asked the doctor after he regained his composure. The question had really taken him aback. "In the operating room. Don't you remember?" "Yes, I do. I just didn't know if you had been told or not," the doctor answered as he glared at the nurse. "No one told me. I was there and remember it." "Of course," answered the doctor. He was very disturbed by this conversation. He knew about many studies that suggested that patients that had died and then been resuscitated often remembered dying, but he had never believed it. "So will I live?" "I think so. You are healing much faster than I expected. In fact, I didn't expect you to wake up for another couple of hours." The doctor was surprised at the state of health of his patient. Only four hours before, he had died after suffering a gunshot that had caused him to lose too much blood and a very nasty concussion. Now the patient was talking and acting as if he had just been to a summer social. This was weird and as a man at the end of a long career of practicing medicine, he didn't trust weird. "Can the police interview me now?" asked John. His concern about the young lady had returned, "I want to find out if she is okay." "The Sheriff is outside," answered the doctor. He turned to the black nurse, "Get the Sheriff." "By the way, I'm John Carter. What are your names?" "I'm Dr. Simpson, the one and only doctor in this whole area," replied the doctor. He abruptly turned and left the room. The nurse that had been standing in the background looked around rather nervously. She hated it when the doctor did that. She was usually left explaining his behavior to rather angry patients. John smiled at her and asked, "Your name?" "My name is Lucy," she answered and then added, "Don't mind the doctor. He's overworked. He was about to get some rest when you were brought in." "Well, Nurse Lucy, don't worry about that. I've worked with a lot of people that are far stranger than him." She smiled at the comment. At least this patient seemed to understand. His physical condition after such an ordeal was truly amazing. She stepped closer to the patient and commented, "You really do look fantastic." John was about to reply when the Sheriff entered the room behind the black nurse. Lucy discretely stepped out of the room with a nod to the black nurse. John looked over at the Sheriff and asked, "How is she? Is she okay?" The Sheriff answered stiffly, "Look, I'll ask the questions if you don't mind." Taken aback and wondering what had happened after he lost consciousness, John shrugged, "Okay." "First, tell me about what happened as you know it." John relayed the whole story; at least as he knew it. He was as thorough as he could be. He left out the time dilation effect. No one would believe that aspect of his experience. The Sheriff listened and didn't say a word. He jotted down notes capturing the essence of the story. When John finished, the Sheriff asked, "At what point did you realize that he was going to shoot the girl?" John shook his head and thought back. He answered, "You know... As I was walking towards the counter, I noticed that the guy had an erection. I mean... this is sick, his pants were tented. I thought that he was thinking of raping her, but then I realized that he was moving away and pointing the gun at her. I realized that the idea of shooting her was sexually exciting him. Can you imagine anything so sick in your whole life?" The Sheriff shook his head and then asked, "You had never seen him before?" "No. I didn't notice him when I came in and I didn't see him come in the store after I had entered." "Did you ever see the girl behind the counter before?" "No sir." "Yet you ran in between her and the gunman without any thought for yourself?" "Sure. Anyone would have." The Sheriff shook his head and looked at the notes he had taken. They confirmed what the surveillance camera had recorded. His daughter had been too upset to tell her side of what had happened. He shook his head, "Well, you are wrong. That guy has done the same thing before today. You are the first to have done anything even though you aren't the only one who has witnessed him doing it." "I'm sure they had mitigating circumstances. Too old, too young, or sick or something." "He's done it eight times before today." "Eight times? I hope you caught him," answered John with a concerned look on his face. He added, "It wouldn't be good for someone like that to escape." The Sheriff stared at the young man in the bed. He could hardly believe this guy was for real. He answered, "Oh yeah, we caught him. He was laid out on the floor where you had knocked him out with your staff." "That was an accident. Is the girl okay?" asked John. He had no idea that he had struck the guy with his walking stick. Talk about luck, this was it. "Yes, she's fine." "Thank the Gods and Goddesses," replied John. He breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at the Sheriff, "You have no idea what a relief it is to know she's okay. I've been worried that I was too late to help her." "Oh, I have a good idea," replied the Sheriff. "I guess as Sheriff those kinds of situations come up regularly for you." "Not really," replied the Sheriff. He had been in law enforcement ever since he had gotten out of the military. He had never been in a showdown situation with a criminal like that. He changed the subject, "You're going to have to come here and testify at his trial. I've gotten the information I need to contact you from your drivers license." "Oh that information is changing. I just finished my Masters and will be starting my Doctorate in the fall. I don't have an address yet, but I'll be at the University of Texas. I can give you my parents' address and telephone number. That would be best, they always know where I am." The Sheriff indicated his approval at the plan and took down the information. Finished with that little detail, he stated, "Did you know there was a reward for that guy?" "No." "Well, I've given you credit for capturing the guy so you'll be getting the reward." John was silent for a minute as he thought about the reward. On one hand, it was money and as a student, he could always use a little more cash. On the other hand, there was the woman from the park. He didn't know what role she had in this, but he had the definite feeling that she wouldn't approve. He frowned, "I don't really feel comfortable taking a reward. I'll tell you what, why don't you get that money divided amongst the families of the other victims of that guy. I'm sure they can use the money. Oh and give a little bit to the girl; maybe enough to go out for a good meal or a nice dress or something. I'm sure she was traumatized a bit by the events." The Sheriff looked at the young man lying in the bed. If he weren't a suspicious person, he wouldn't have believed this kid's story at all. However, he had all the evidence before anything had happened that this kid was different. He couldn't believe how different. He had seen Lily drop him off outside of Jed's place. Concerned for her future safety, he pulled her over after she had gotten around the corner. He had wanted to lecture her about picking up hitchhikers. Instead, she had told him about John. She related how he had covered for George at the diner while George had taken a little time off with his wife for a change. He could tell that Lily was quite taken with him. He had stopped by Jed's place later. Jed had been cryptic in his comments, but the gist of it had been to leave the kid alone. Actually, he had stated that John Carter was destined for great things; he was not to interfere with the kid's destiny. It was at that point that he had gotten the call from his daughter. He stated, "My daughter will appreciate that." "Your daughter?" "Yes, the girl in the store is my daughter." "Oh, I didn't know. Give her my regards and tell her I'm glad that she's okay." The Sheriff shook his head. He knew his daughter too well. The damn kid had the morals of an alley cat. She would thank this kid in her own way. He disapproved of just about everything she did, but there was very little he could do about it. He still loved his little girl. He was about to thank John for his actions, but was interrupted, "Well, I guess as Sheriff you have a lot of work to do. I guess you'll be back to ask more questions?" "No, but it would be nice if you could stop by the office before leaving town." John nodded, "Sure, I can do that. Thanks for coming by and letting me know that she's okay." The Sheriff left feeling like he had lost control of the situation. The young man's politeness was quite disarming. He was definitely going to check with the University of Texas to assure himself that the kid was telling the truth. It was just very strange. The kid throws himself in front of a bullet to protect some one that he doesn't even know, dies and comes back, and then acts like it was nothing more than helping someone fix a flat tire. As a law officer, he had been exposed to the bad sides of too many people that appeared nice and upstanding. To find someone that didn't appear to have a bad side was not normal. It just didn't feel right. John watched the door close behind the Sheriff and then turned to the black nurse. He asked, "By the way, I'm John. What's your name?" The black man laughed, "I'm John. Nice to meet you John." John smiled, "Well, Nurse John, I was hoping that when you came back with the Sheriff that your would be hair dyed blond and you'd be all dolled up!" The nurse laughed heartily. He was used to dealing with grumpy patients and to have a friendly one for a change was nice. He answered, "You never know. I might come here tomorrow all dressed up!" "Do you think we can get all of this plumbing pulled off of me?" asked John as he nodded to the tube running into his arm. "The doc will be back in an hour to check on you again. You can ask him then. For now, I suggest that we both make ourselves comfortable." "Oh, so are you going to stay here all day?" "Standard practice here for concussion patients. We don't have all of that fancy monitoring gear here, so you're stuck with me." "Well, maybe you could help me dial a call to my parents." "Sure thing, I bet they'll be happy to hear from you." They worked out the details for dialing the number and Nurse John ended up holding the telephone to Johns ear. "Hello Mom!" There was a pause. "I'm fine. I was shot and died, but I'm feeling much better now. In fact, I feel great." Nurse John rolled his eyes. He could only imagine the effect those words would have on the guy's mother. He could only hear the one end of the conversation. "No, really." "Well, you don't have to come here. I'll probably be out of the hospital before you can get here." "Nah, no need. I've got plenty of money and I'm still covered by health insurance." "Oh, by the way. You might tell Doug that I'm at this great little hospital here in the country. It is next to a national park with great hiking trails. You might ask if he wants to come out here and see me. Who knows, he might be able to get a job here!" "Oh, the doctor here has all of the personality of a wood fence. He and Doug would get along great!" Nurse John rolled his eyes. This end of the conversation was surreal. He had heard all kinds of descriptions of the doctor, but this one was probably the most accurate. He wondered what kind of person would get along great with the doctor. "Okay, I'll give the phone to Nurse John and he can give you the details." "Sure, I'll let you know what I decide to do next." "Okay, bye. Here's John." John looked up at the nurse and stated, "She wants to talk to you." Nurse John spent the next ten minutes talking to John's mother. He couldn't believe how calm she was about the whole situation. If he had told his mother that he had died, she would have screamed and immediately flown here. Instead, the entire conversation was about the possibility of Doug getting a job in the hospital as a doctor. When he had mentioned that John was okay, she said that she knew that. He wouldn't have said he felt okay if it hadn't been true. He decided that white families must be very different from his. After hanging up the telephone he turned to his patient, "You got shot and died, but you're feeling better now! How can you break the news to your mother that way?" "She would have been upset about any other way that I could have put it." ------- Chapter 4 Doug strode into the room with an undisguised sense of authority. He was a short man, with a neatly trimmed mustache that exaggerated his frown and short black hair that gave him a distinguished look. He looked around and noticed a man changing the sheets on the only bed in the room. He cleared his throat, "Where's John Carter?" Nurse John turned and examined the intruder. He didn't know what to make of the man. He answered, "He's in the next room reading to the Wilson girl. She had an appendectomy yesterday." Doug turned before Nurse John had even finished his answer. The nurse watched the guy's back as he left the room without further comment. He muttered, "That guy makes Dr. Simpson look like a great conversationalist." A minute later John Carter entered the room followed by the other man. Doug pointed at the bed, "Get in bed, now!" "Dougie, I've known you since you and my brother were caught playing doctor with the girls next door. Now get off your high and mighty doctor pedestal you've put yourself on and say hello like the real person I know still lives inside you!" Nurse John just chuckled quietly to himself. He glanced over at John and saw the twinkle in his eye. He knew that look too well. John got that same look when he would start to bait Dr. Simpson. "John Carter get in that bed. I saw your chart out there. You were shot and lost way too much blood. You're lucky to be alive. Now you get in that bed and stay there until I or your doctor say you can get out of it!" John made a raspberry and retorted, "Make me. I can still whip your ass one armed!" Doug chuckled, "Damn it John. I get a call from your mother that you got shot and died. Then she tells me that you are feeling better, but that I might come out here to apply for a job. Now you and I know that it was her way to get me here to check you out. So be a nice guy and cooperate." John laughed, "Sorry Doug. Getting you out here was my idea. There's only one doctor in the whole area and he's over worked. I knew you wanted a practice in the country and this is mighty nice country." Doug pointed to the bed and John finally got into it. Doug looked over his shoulder at the nurse and groused, "Get some bandages. I'm going to look at his shoulder and see how it's healing." Nurse John shook his head, "Nope, you aren't the..." Doug interrupted, "Nurse, do it now!" Nurse John spun around and left the room. John nodded with a wise ass smile on his face, "Dougie, you did it now! Get prepared for the wrath of Dr. Simpson!" Hardly had John finished his statement when a whirlwind in the form of Dr. Simpson entered the room. He shouted, "You! Who are you that you dare order my nurses around?" "I'm Dr. Wilkins. Are you the hack that lets him walk around the hospital two days after getting shot?" shouted Doug back at the older man. Nurse John discretely entered the room and moved over to the bed. As the doctors argued, John winked at Nurse John and stated, "I told you they would get along fine." Nurse John nodded, "Yeah, like gasoline and matches. I wonder which one of us is gonna get burnt." John laughed, "So how long do you think I should let them argue?" "You can stop them anytime now." "Okay," replied John with a big smile. He took a deep breath and let out a great big groan. Like magic, both doctors stopped arguing and raced to the side of the patient. As one, they asked, "Where does it hurt?" "My ears!" Again as one, "Your ears?" "Yeah, you two were shouting loud enough to wake the dead!" "You are the most..." replied both doctors as one. They both glared at each other and then began again, "You are driving..." John interrupted, "So Dr. Simpson, are you gonna offer Dougie here a job?" "Looking?" "Yes." "Credentials?" "Mayo Clinic." "Okay." "Great." "When?" "One month." "Good. Nurse, get some bandages." As one, the two doctors turned to John. This time the groan that escaped from John was real. Alarmed the doctors asked, "What's the matter?" "I think I've let two monsters loose on the world." "John, I shouldn't have let your brother rescue you when you were drowning!" "John, I should have let you die on that operating table!" Nurse John returned with bandages. It took the doctors several minutes to remove the old dressing and examine the wound. It had healed at an unprecedented rate. The two doctors stared at the wound in wonder. Dr. Simpson stated, "Incredible. It looks like it has been healing for two weeks instead of two days." "I can see that. The mobility of the arm is amazing. With a hole that big, he should have significant stiffness." "Well, will I live?" Doug replied, "Yes. Must be all the meanness in you." Dr. Simpson added, "And people consider me cantankerous. A few of them ought to meet you! I'm thinking about keeping you in here forever." John smiled and winked at Nurse John. He suddenly leaned up and kissed Dr. Simpson on the lips. Leaning back, he smiled, "I'm all yours until you check me out of here!" "Damn it, stop doing that! If my colleague concurs, you are leaving first thing in the morning!" "John, there are times when I'm sorry I ever knew your brother. Every one of those times, you've been involved. Next time you do something like that to a doctor, I'm going to recommend they send you to a vet for treatment! You're leaving in the morning. If I know you, you'll corrupt all of the nurses here. I wouldn't want that, particularly since I'll be working here soon." "Nurse John, do you want to tell them?" "Leave me out of it. They'll discover in good time what kind of influence you've had here on the staff!" Both doctors left the room shaking their heads. John watched them leave with an amused smile. He turned to Nurse John and stated, "They get along well, don't they?" "He's the first doctor I've seen come in here that has a chance of outlasting Dr. Simpson," replied the black man. He shook his head at the exchange between the two doctors; an interview of one-word statements that lasted twenty seconds. John got out of the bed stating, "Well, I'm gonna go finish Treasure Island with Cindy Wilson." He left the room leaving an amused nurse behind. Nurse John heard him say with an exaggerated pirate accent, "Avast, prepare to be boarded, me pretty!" That was followed by an embarrassed giggle from Lucy. Nurse John shook his head in wonder. Some patients made the job worthwhile. Even the doctor had said that about John. That guy had brought more than one smile to this place. John woke up in the middle of the night thinking he was having an erotic dream. It took him several minutes to realize that it wasn't a dream, but someone was sucking his cock. Keeping his eyes closed he whispered, "If that's you, Nurse John, I'm gonna be real disappointed!" He smiled at the giggle and opened his eyes. She was a shadow against the dull illumination that seeped from under the door. As she moved up his body, Nurse Lucy stated, "Avast, me hearty, prepare to be boarded!" With that, she lowered herself onto his erection. He sighed in pleasure as the warm, moist sheath of her sex enveloped his cock. He moved his hand to her body and ran it up her torso. It was with a little disappointment that he encountered her nurses uniform. As he ran his hand down her body, he felt where she had lifted her skirt to allow her to straddle him. She undulated by moving her hips, rising gently, as she worked his hard cock within her. She sighed, "Oh, it's so big." He sighed, "Oh, it's so tight." He could feel his excitement building quickly. If he didn't slow things down, he would come soon. She stopped moving and started milking his cock with her cunt. He had to fight off having an orgasm. Then he realized that she was breathing hard and was building to one of her own. The contractions along his cock got stronger. He grunted, "Oh, I'm going to come." As he started lifting his hips to increase the sensation, she started thrashing above him in orgasm. He let loose right after her. She collapsed on him in the exhaustion that follows orgasm and held him tight. He put his arms around her and drifted off to sleep. Morning came and he examined his meager possessions. His pack and walking stick were there. He checked his watch and pockets. Everything was there. Satisfied, he settled into the wheelchair stating, "Homeward, James!" Nurse John chuckled, "Your departure has created quite a stir." "Oh?" Nurse John wheeled him into the hallway. Every female in the hospital was spaced along the corridor. This included the accountant, the day and night nurses, the secretary, the lab technician, and the sixty-year-old cleaning lady. Each was wearing a blond wig, short white skirt, a top that was unbuttoned one button too many, garter belt and white stockings, and brandishing a thermometer. The grins were infectious. John burst out laughing, "Oh ladies, you are great. I'm gonna miss all of you!" Even Dr. Simpson, while trying to look stern, was smiling, "You degenerate. Look at what you did to my staff!" As they passed the cleaning lady, John stated in a stage whisper, "Myrtle, you better watch out for that old geezer. He'll be chasing you around the halls in a minute!" Myrtle actually blushed, but retorted, "Chase? Who said I was gonna run?" Dr. Simpson was left stuttering. It was at that moment that he realized John Carter knew the name of everyone in the hospital. He couldn't believe that even the night nurse was participating. She had the reputation of being a prudish old hen. As they passed the door to the room next to his, he called inside, "Good bye, Cindy. Remember what I told you. If mean old Dr. Simpson gives you a hard time, you just kiss him on the lips." From inside the room, Cindy answered, "Goodbye, Mister John. I'll remember." John smiled as they went further down the hall. When they passed the accountant, he again used the stage whisper, "Louisa, remember it goes, one for you, one for me, one for you, two for me, and so on." "Se Senior, I remember. Dr. Simpson be poor real soon," she replied with a smile. She glanced up at the doctor meaningfully as he made a face. As they went down the hall, he made similar comments to every one. A personal joke to each. When they got to Lucy, he signaled her to come close. He was about to say something to her when she beat him to the punch, "Avast, me hearty, prepare to be boarded." When she wiggled her hips suggestively, he laughed, "Shiver me timbers!" Finally, they reached the end of the hall where the two doctors were standing. He turned to Dr. Simpson and stated in mock seriousness, "It's been fun working on your bedside manner with you." There was a snort of laughter from the waiting room. Dr. Simpson answered, "It has been a real pleasure having you here, John. Don't you know that country doctors are supposed to be cantankerous and ill tempered? If I don't live up to expectations, no one around here will get cured." John sat back in surprise, "Huh?" "Now if you don't get out of here, I'll take Dr. Wilkins' advice and send you to the nearest veterinarian. I hear he's meaner than hell." "Yes sir!" Doug took over the wheelchair from Nurse John. Nurse John stepped around the wheel chair and knelt next to the patient. John looked at the black man. He extended his hand, "Thanks, Nurse John. May the Gods and Goddesses bless you." Nurse John interrupted, "I know what you're gonna say next. If either doc gets too big for his britches, I'm supposed to give them a big kiss on the lips!" There was another snort from the waiting room. A comment floated out from inside, "Damn Doc is gonna get kissed a lot from now on!" Doug screamed in mock horror, "My God, we had better get him out of here before he corrupts all of the patients too!" As Doug wheeled him out of the hospital, John shouted, "Goodbye everyone." A chorus of good-byes followed them out of the building. As Doug pushed the wheelchair towards his rental car, he asked, "How do you do it?" "Do what?" "What you did in there." "I really don't understand what you are talking about." "You really don't, do you?" replied Doug. He shook his head in amazement. He added, "You get shot. You die. You recover. You heal in record time. You walk around a hospital and learn everyone's name. You have private jokes with them. They all know you and like you. They get dressed up in ridiculous garb to say goodbye. No one was upset to see you leave, but everyone felt better knowing you. You did all of that in three days. How do you do it?" "It wasn't me. I didn't do anything. Everyone in there is a nice person and they were nice with me." "You believe that, don't you?" "It's the truth." Doug walked in silence for a few steps. He finally stated, "I have to take you by the Sheriff's office. They want to talk to you before you leave town. His daughter is going to be there. A little later a reporter from the local papers will come. Can you handle it all?" "Sure Dougie." They put his gear in the back of the car that Doug had rented. John sprang out of the chair and got behind it to push it back to the door. Doug ran up to him and wrestled the chair from him. It wasn't tough since John could still use only one arm. He growled, "Hospital rules state that you have to ride to the car in a wheelchair. You then get in the car while an authorized employee of the hospital returns the chair. At that point, you can do anything you want." "You mean I can strip and dance naked on top of the car if I want?" "Sure, you can. We're going to the Sheriff's office anyway. It doesn't matter to me if you get there in handcuffs or not." John seated himself in the car and waited for Doug to return. Before long, they were pulling out of the hospital. John was silent for a minute and then spoke up, "You're gonna like it here. I know it. The people are nice; good people if you know what I mean." "Yes, I will like it here." "Good. I've worried about you since my brother died," replied John. He thought about how Doug had reacted when Eric died. He had locked himself in his room for a month; inconsolable from the loss of his best friend. Doug pulled off the road and turned to face John. "You don't have to worry about me any more." John stated, "I know that. Take care of the people here. Find love and new friends. You deserve to enjoy life a little bit." "I'll try," Doug replied. He was quiet for a moment and then suggested, "Let's get to the Sheriff's office before they get worried." It was only five minutes later that they arrived at the Sheriff's office. John stepped out of the car and looked around taking in his surroundings. It was a nice little community. Next to the Sheriff's office was the feed store. He had been right, it was one street over from main street. He could smell the feed grain in the air and took pleasure in the slightly sweet odor. He entered the Sheriff's office and shouted, "Hey, Sheriff. I heard there was a warrant out for my arrest and I've come to give myself up!" The Sheriff looked up and saw John. His neighbor Myrtle worked at the hospital. She had told him all about a wonderful person that was a patient there. She had related that he took a real interest in her and her life. She said this kid actually helped her as much as he could although he could only use one arm. He had seen her leave for work this morning all dolled up like a nurse hooker. She had blushed and told him that all the women in the hospital were doing it. He replied, "Sorry, all the cells are booked up. You'll have to come back tomorrow!" "Drat, I even combed my hair for my mug shot!" The sheriff laughed, "Doesn't help. Don't you know that we law types rough up the suspect so that they look guilty before we take the picture?" Doug shook his head, "Sheriff, I think you'd be doing the whole world a favor by locking this guy up." John smiled, "My manners are horrible. Sheriff, this is Dr. Doug Wilkins. Doug, this is the Sheriff." The Sheriff nodded, "I hear you're the new doctor in town." "How did you know that?" "My neighbor, Myrtle, told me." John interjected, "Doug, you're gonna love Myrtle. She has a son in the army; he's a guard at the Egyptian Embassy. Her daughter is married to an accountant and is a nurse in Denver. She has a major crush on Dr. Simpson. She makes sure that he gets lots of rest and eats regularly. You're gonna have to work on that when you get here." The Sheriff stared at John in amazement. He had known Myrtle for years and didn't know she liked the doctor. He turned back to Doug, "When will you be starting?" "I'll be starting in a month." "Great. We can use another doctor. Dr. Simpson hasn't had a day off in a decade. We're taking up a collection to send him to Hawaii for a week." John whipped out his wallet and pulled out a twenty. He handed the money over to the Sheriff and stated, "Here's my contribution." The Sheriff took the money and set it on his desk. It didn't surprise him at how fast John had reacted, not after what he had learned about him over the past few days. He cleared his throat, "Now to a little business. The reward is $20,000. Are you sure that you want it distributed as you said in the hospital?" "Sure, why would I change my mind?" "No reason, I just wanted to double check," replied the Sheriff. He still had a hard time believing the guy would give away the reward. He picked up his notebook, "I talked to your father. He's agreed to forward any messages to you about the trial. You can expect to get a query from the district attorney shortly." "Okay. Anything I can do to help." The Sheriff was quiet for a minute. There was a rather pained expression on his face as he wrestled with how to make a request. With a frown he stated, "John, I have to ask you for a personal favor." "Ask away." "My daughter is coming here in about 10 minutes." "Great. I'd like to meet her. She seemed like a nice girl. You must be very proud of her." The Sheriff's frown deepened, "Well, not exactly." "Oh? Tell me about it." John turned to look directly at the Sheriff, giving him his total attention. For the Sheriff it was like finding himself in a spotlight. "She has the morals of an alley cat. She's going to come here and want to thank you personally. I won't tell you not to, but I would appreciate it if you turned her down. It's not that I don't like you, it's just that I can't condone her behavior." John nodded and thought about it for a half a minute. He spoke, "I understand. It must be very hard for you." The Sheriff just nodded. He hated having this conversation. "Is she going to school?" "No." "I take it that she has no future plans." "Right." "Okay. Don't worry about it. Everything's going to be all right." The tone of John's voice brooked no argument. There was an eerie sense of power behind those words. The Sheriff shook his head. Doug had seen John do some very weird things in the past. He knew by the tone in his voice that he was going to make everything all right. Doug interrupted, "Sheriff, can I talk to you privately for a minute?" The two men stepped into a back room. John sat in the office looking around at the décor on the walls. There were pictures of the Sheriff in military uniform, hunting, and a much younger version standing proudly by a car. On one of the shelves was a football trophy that stated he had been an All State player. There was a picture on the desk of his family showing an attractive woman, a much younger daughter, and him in a suit. There was an Irish Setter sitting in front of the family. The girl from the convenience store bounced into the office interrupting his examination of the room. She was wearing 'fuck- me' clothes. The shirt was excessively short, the blouse was transparent without a bra underneath, and her shoes had five-inch heels. Her makeup was applied just a little too thickly. She slid easily onto his lap, cooing, "My hero!" Expecting a much different response, she shrank back when he coldly answered, "I saved your life. It is mine to decide what to do with it." "Huh?" He took his index finger and placed it squarely upon her forehead. He intoned, "You shall enter school. You shall get a degree in a subject that interests you. You shall control your sexual desires with a toy until you meet the man you will marry. You shall marry a nice and decent man that shares your sexual energy. You and he shall make mutually satisfying accommodations for your sexual urges. You shall get a job that is a career and you shall excel in it. So it has been said, so shall it be!" The power that had been building in the room suddenly collapsed and flowed into John. A huge shock of electricity flowed from him to her. Eyes wide, she shook her head as though to clear it. She demurely stood up and sat in a chair across the room from her. John looked up to see the Sheriff and Doug staring at him. Doug had a small smile; he remembered when John had done the same thing to him. Now he was a doctor and a very good one. She was going to be all right now. John looked at the Sheriff, seeing a tear roll down his cheek. He guessed that Doug had told him about his experience. John smiled at the girl and in a very gentle tone of voice asked, "I'm afraid that we haven't been introduced yet. In fact, nobody has told me your name. I'm John Carter and you are?" "I'm Amy." "Amy, that's a very nice name. I am so happy to see that you're all right. I didn't know what happened to you after I lost consciousness. I was worried that I had been too late." She smiled, "I know. My dad told me that the first thing you did in the hospital was to ask about me. I really thought you were dead. There was just so much blood. Dad wouldn't let me go to the hospital because he said that you weren't allowed visitors." "Well, I'm happy that things worked out so well." The Sheriff hesitantly interrupted, "Ah, Amy. I hate to say this, but the newspaper guy is going to be here in a few minutes. I imagine there will be pictures. Would you mind changing clothes?" Amy's immediate reaction was to bristle in defiance, but her reaction was immediately muted. Puzzled, she answered, "You might be right. Something a little more conservative might be appropriate." She stood and nodded to the occupants of the room, "Excuse me, I'll be right back." After she left, John turned to the Sheriff, "She seems like a very nice girl; lots of potential. I expect to hear great things about her in the future." "Thanks." The three men chatted about the area while waiting for Amy to return and the newspaper reporter to arrive. The time was spent talking about hiking trails, good sights to see nearby and good places to live. Doug was beginning to get enthusiastic about moving into the area. Everyone arrived and the newspaper reporter took down the details of the attempted robbery. Amy told her story. She explained how John had rescued her from certain death. The Sheriff told about the history of the suspect. He described how many people the boy had killed over the past two months. Finally, the reporter turned to John and asked, "How's it feel to be a hero?" "Oh, I'm not a hero. I just tried to diffuse the situation by getting between the robber and the girl. I knocked him out quite by accident when I got shot." "Not a hero?" "Nope. The hero is Dr. Simpson who was able to save my life. You guys have a great hospital here. Speaking of which, I'd like to introduce Dr. Doug Wilkins. He's joining the staff at the hospital in a month. You might want to talk to him." The reporter turned his attention to the doctor, feeling rather fortunate in getting two stories out of one trip. The rest of his visit was spent discussing the doctor's background and qualifications. John sat back and watched with a satisfied look on his face as Doug became ever more animated. Once the interviews were over, the reporter asked them to pose for a picture. First he took a picture of Amy and John and then he took a picture of Doug. Satisfied, he left. It wasn't until he left that he realized that he had only asked one question of John. John and Doug followed him out of the Sheriff's office after saying their good-byes to Amy and her father. As they walked down the street to where Doug had parked the rental, a young boy raced in front of them. John reached out and grabbed the boy before he stepped in the street. It was fortunate because a car came around the corner and would have hit the kid. He didn't notice the flash of the camera behind him. John knelt down, "Hey, you've got to look both directions before crossing the street." The newspaper article told the story of a hero who saved the life of Amy and noted that his heroism didn't end there. He had also saved the life of Jimmy Jones who had almost been run over by a car. The article described how the modest and disarming John had made friends in the hospital and helped bring a new doctor in the area. ------- Chapter 5 The walls of the room were bare except for a handful of posters showing Ansel Adams photographs. The accordion doors of the closet were open allowing the contents to be viewed. There was a handful of shirts hanging from clothes hangers. The shelf along the top of the closet contained camping equipment such as, tents, sleeping bags, canteens, knives, axes, and similar gear; souvenirs of a youth spent camping. Everything in the closet, including the equipment, was too small for him or too worn to be used. In the corner of the room was the backpack he had been using on his last hike. It was open and contained one shirt and two pairs of pants. His other shirt had been cut apart when he had been taken to the hospital. There were the spare socks and underwear. Every other day, he had to wash his clothes to have clean clothes available. He knew he would have to buy more clothes soon. Next to the backpack was the walking stick. There were only three pieces of furniture in the room, a bed, a chest of drawers, and a bookcase. The first shelf of the bookcase held books about hiking and survival, including a complete set of Foxfire books. The rest of the shelves contained science books covering mathematics, electronics, biology, chemistry, and physics. Everything was just as he had left it, years ago when he had gone off to college. It was a Spartan room. As he often told visitors, he liked to live simply and be able to take off on a moments notice for the great outdoors. All of his college possessions fit in three boxes. One box of clothes, one box of books, and one box of hiking gear. He had mailed them to himself in care of the university's department of physics. His roommates had laughed when they had seen him move. They had rented U-Haul trucks to carry their stuff away. Lying upon the bed with his hands clasped behind his head, John Carter stared up at the ceiling. He was restless and felt like something was pulling him from the house. He had been at his parent's house for ten days. He felt fully healed although he had been shot two weeks ago. He'd rather be hiking, but his shoulder was still sore and couldn't carry much weight. He wouldn't have a chance for an extended hike until next summer. Between now and then, all he would be able to do is take short weekend hikes. Giving into the pull, he grabbed his walking stick and left the house. He ambled randomly down various streets, but headed in a direction that was generally towards the center of town. He took his normal hiking pace, stopping occasionally to observe his surroundings. He passed by trees that he had climbed as a child, houses where his classmates had lived, and other places that were special. Everything looked a little older, a lot smaller, and more worn down than he remembered. As he passed one house, he remembered Jenny. She had lived here when he was in high school. He smiled with his recollection of her. He had lost his virginity to her one afternoon in the woods behind the high school. She was a popular girl in school and he was the lone wolf - a wanderer even at that time. He never understood why she had decided to take him into the woods that day. His experience, in hindsight, was not particularly great, but at the time he was ecstatic and couldn't have imagined better. Yes, he had fumbled through getting out of his clothes with fingers that no longer seemed his own. Yes, he had climbed on her in the missionary position without much foreplay at all. It had taken him longer to get his cock into her than he spent actually fucking. However, her expectations didn't seem to be much beyond what she had experienced. That afternoon, and for years afterwards, she was the most beautiful woman that he knew. They had never repeated the experience, but she had always acted kindly towards him. Losing his virginity had opened some sort of door within him. He spent hours reading everything about sex that he could find. For a time, it seemed like his hand was always wrapped around his cock. Then one day, he realized that he had been a rather lousy lover. It was an amazing revelation to him and one that he knew he had to correct as quickly as possible. His reading changed from getting off to learning how to be better in bed. It was a couple of years later before he had sex with his second lover. That time he had been much better. There had been lots of foreplay and it had been good for her. She had come before he even entered her. However, his personal performance still was bad. Again, it had taken him longer to get his cock inside her than he had spent in her. This was his second great sexual revelation. Not only did he need to learn what actions to perform, but he also had to learn out to control himself. His masturbation took a different direction. Now instead of trying to get off as quickly as possible, he tried to see how long he could make it last. It was a difficult habit to break. He had years of furtive masturbation where his goal had been to get off before someone might discover what he was doing. Now he had to plan his activities where he could expect to be alone for a significant amount of time. His efforts paid off. It took a while, but the time came when he was able to last for more than fifteen minutes with his girlfriend. She seemed to enjoy the experience much more. She broke up with him a couple of months later. Her reason for leaving him crushed his self-esteem. During a fight involving some minor difference of opinion about the color of a rug, she had launched the salvo that killed the relationship. She had stated that his lovemaking was mechanical and he did the same thing every time. In effect, she had told him he was a lousy lover. He had walked away and never saw her again. It wasn't until several months later, when circumstances had forced him to take the same hiking trail four weekends in a row that he understood. The first time along the trail was exciting. Every corner lead to a new view. The second time was just as good as the first. That time he noticed things that he hadn't seen the first time through. The third time, the trail seemed comfortable. No surprises, nothing new, and somewhat boring. Still, the simple act of hiking had relaxed him and put him in a nice state of mind. The fourth time had been horrible. There was nothing new and his hike had seemed mechanical. He walked, but his step carried an air of impatience. He hardly looked around at the sights around him. When he had reached the end of the trail, he didn't really remember how he had gotten there. Variety was just as important as performance. One time it could be slow and sensual. The next time it could be wild abandon. Another time, maybe fast, furious and powerful was appropriate. Since sex didn't involve him alone, it was something that had to be right for both of them. From that time to the present, no woman had ever complained about his lovemaking. As he stood outside of Jenny's house, he wondered what it would be like to sleep with her now. In a way, it saddened him that his first time had been so poor. It was true that he had been ignorant, but it was a lost opportunity for a much greater shared mutual pleasure. He shook his head and returned to the reality of his surroundings. His stomach rumbled and he glanced at his watch. He had been wandering for an hour now and was just a block from downtown. He decided to walk into town and get a bite to eat. When he reached downtown, he was shocked at how much it had changed and then realized that six years had passed since he had been there. He looked around at the stores and noted that there were three places to eat. The old hamburger joint that had served root beer in frosty mugs was gone. He felt drawn to the little cafe that announced its presence with a dainty little sign proclaiming it to be the 'Soup Shoppe.' As he entered the cafe, he stopped and looked around. It was a cozy little place with small tables covered with red and white plaid tablecloths. There were little vases with a single flower on each table. A white board covered with feminine handwriting presented the dishes served. The soup de jour was Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup, which happened to be his favorite. He noticed they had sandwiches listed and decided upon a roast beef sandwich. His stomach announced its' concurrence with his decision by emitting a long low rumble. He selected a table next to the wall and leaned his walking stick against the wall where it would be out of the way. He had just seated himself when he heard a choking sound from one of the other people in the dinner. He looked around and noticed a portly old man gesturing frantically. His companion and other diners in the cafe started to panic. No one moved. John stood and walked calmly to the man. Lifting him out of the chair, he performed the Heimlich Maneuver. On the second attempt, the guy ejected a piece of breadstick and his breathing returned to normal. Satisfied that the guy was okay; he patted him on the back. "Better watch out for those breadsticks, they can be killers." The guy turned around to see his savior. "Thanks so much." At the sound of the man talking, the other diners broke out into a momentary applause and then returned to their meals. A common topic was the choking incident. The applause brought the waitress from back where she was informed by one of the other patrons of the events that had just occurred. It took a moment for John to recognize the man he had just saved. "Mr. Means! How are you doing?" "Much better now." He reached down and took a sip of water. The coolness eased a little of the irritation in his throat. "I'm John Carter. You were the principal at the high school when I was a student. It is so nice to see you again." Mr. Means was still in the process of recovering from his experience. He vaguely recalled the young man. Then he remembered the incident that had brought this student some notoriety. John had been somewhat of a loner and troublemaker. Then one night, his brother, the Wilkins boy, and him had been drinking and probably doing drugs. The boys had a fight and his brother had driven away leaving the other two several miles outside of town. The brother had wrapped the car around a tree and died. Afterwards, John remained a loner, but he was no longer a troublemaker. His grades improved and he disappeared into the background. "Your timing is impeccable. So what are you doing here?" "Oh, I'm recovering from a minor injury. I'll be going to the University of Texas in a couple of weeks to work on my doctorate in Physics." "Really?" "Yes. Are you still the principal?" "Yes, but this is my last year. I'm retiring." "Wow, that's great. Tell me, what are you planning on doing?" "Oh, I'll play some golf, work in my woodshop, and putter about the house. I'm looking forward to it." Mr. Means was not too concerned with his retirement. Years teaching school had taught him how to fill his summers with activity and live with his wife. He had known many people that had retired and died from boredom shortly afterwards. John nodded to Mr. Means and his dining companion. She was probably his wife by the way she was acting. He smiled, "Well that sounds great. Now, I'll leave you to finish your meal with companion here. Just watch out for those breadsticks." Taken off guard, Mr. Means replied, "Thanks. Take care of yourself." The waitress came over to John's table and stated, "Thanks for saving him. Your lunch is on the house." John shook his head, "No need. I was just the first one there. I'm sure someone else would have stepped in if I hadn't been here." He stopped a moment and looked at the waitress. His mouth slowly opened as he recognized her. Time had not been exactly kind to her. She was still an attractive woman, but when she was younger, she had been amazingly beautiful. He exclaimed, "Jenny, is that you?" She started and looked again at the customer. She realized who he was. "Well, I'll be. John Carter?" "Oh, this is amazing. I was out walking and passed by your house. It brought back so many memories." Jenny blushed as she remembered her high school days. She had been so popular then. Every guy was trying to sleep with her. The only one who treated her like a human had been John. He just nodded to her when she walked past with her followers. He'd stop and talk to her when she was alone and upset. He never put any pressure on her. She'd even slept with him once, but learned that he was like everyone else in bed. Afterwards, he was still the same old John. He wasn't possessive and didn't stalk. He still nodded to her or stopped to talk. He also didn't tell stories and that was important to her. Now she was a single mother raising a five-year-old boy on the little money that the cafe brought. The father didn't even know he was a father. Truth to tell, she didn't know who the father was. Too much booze at her first college party and her life was changed forever. She decided that memories weren't very great to have. "Are you back here for good?" "No, I'm just visiting for a couple more weeks. Then it's back to school for me." The mention of school made her flinch. Her answer suggested the lack of enthusiasm for the topic. "Oh, that's nice." John examined her for a moment. He noticed there wasn't a wedding ring on her finger. He suggested, "How about you have dinner with me tonight after you close up the shop instead of buying me lunch?" Jenny licked her lips and blurted out, "I can't. I have a son and I really have to go home and take care of him." Without hesitation, John answered, "No problem. How's this? You get your son and I'll find a place that all three of us will enjoy." Jenny hesitated. This was the first offer to get out of the house since her son had been born. In a way, she needed this very much. She whispered, "Okay." John replied, "Great! I'll walk around and find the perfect place. How old is your son?" "Five." "Oh, that's a great age. So much of the world is still new to them. It's fun exploring the world with someone that age." Jenny stepped back in surprise, "What do you know about kids that age?" "Oh, I babysat a lot when I was an undergraduate," he replied. His stomach growled loudly impatient at the delay in being filled. Jenny laughed aloud. It was a genuine laugh and not the kind she often used when customers told bad jokes. Her hand went up to fiddle with her hair, "I think your stomach is trying to tell us something. What can I get you to eat?" They went through the ordering procedure typical of all restaurants. She disappeared for a moment and returned with a bowl of soup. Other customers demanded her attention and she was busy while he ate his soup. He watched her move around the room interacting with people. She would occasionally glance in his direction and smile. As soon as he finished the soup, she returned to the table with his sandwich. With a roll of her eyes, she stepped away from the table to serve a customer that had snapped his fingers to get her attention. Mr. Means stopped by his table and gave thanks again. He also introduced his wife, who spent a few minutes thanking him for his heroism. John shrugged it off as though he had done nothing. The couple left arm in arm. He had just finished his sandwich when Jenny arrived at the table. He noticed that he was the last customer in the cafe. She sat in the chair across from him with a smile, "Now that we've fed that animal in your tummy, maybe we can talk a little." John smiled appreciatively. In the half an hour since he had entered the cafe, it seemed as though five years had dropped from her face. He reached across the table and touched her hand, "That would be great. It's so nice to see you again." Jenny sat up a little straighter and pulled her shoulders back. It had the effect of emphasizing her breasts. "I was always comfortable talking with you. Do you know that you were the only guy in school that treated me like a human being and not a sex object?" John shrugged, "I was still in a state of shock over my brother's death. I appreciated being able to talk to you on occasion. You were very nice and didn't treat me like a pariah. So what has life after high school been like for you?" Jenny frowned and stated, "Well, I went off to college and got pregnant. Came back here and had Davie. Then I opened this place. For the last five years, I work here from the morning to the afternoon and then go home to take care of the kid." His reaction surprised Jenny, "Wow, you are so... so brave and independent. I can't imagine raising a kid and running a business at the same time. That's amazing!" Jenny sat back and stared at John. She viewed her life as a deeply entrenched rut. Everyday seemed to blend into the next without distinction. Yet, when she looked at it from his perspective, it did seem to have a little more meaning. She hesitated, "I never really saw it that way before." He smiled and patted her hand, "You're just being modest." A confused look passed over her face. She stuttered, "Not really." John looked around the cafe and noticed the dirty plates on tables. Realizing that she was uncomfortable with the topic, he chose to change it. "How about I bus the tables while you straighten up here? Then I'll go and find a place for our date tonight giving you a chance to finish up your work here without trying to entertain me." Jenny smiled, relived at the suggestion and thankful for the help. She answered, "That would be great." True to his word, he bused the tables with his normal efficiency. After finishing that minor chore, he learned when and where to pick her up that evening. Grabbing his walking stick, he left the restaurant while waving goodbye to Jenny. Behind him, a very happy Jenny returned to her work. At five o'clock John knocked on the door of the address that Jenny had given him. The door was opened by a five year old boy. John knelt down so that he was at eye level with the child. Without extending his hand, he greeted the boy, "Hello. I'm John. You must be Davie." The child nodded solemnly. The man in front of him looked strange with part of his beard white and the rest brown. He held a staff in his hand. Davie finally stuttered, "Are you a wizard?" John scrunched up his features as if he was thinking hard, "No! Were you going to challenge me to a wizards' duel?" "No." "Oh, that's good, cause I know you would have beaten me. I'm not good at magic." "Really?" "Yeah, really!" Davie relaxed a little. This was the first time that a man had come to their house and he was a little unsure what he was supposed to think. He asked, "Are you the guy taking mom and me somewhere tonight?" "Yep!" "Where are you taking us?" Davie asked. "That's a surprise. I'm sure you'll like it, though!" Jenny appeared behind Davie and greeted John, "Hello. You're right on time!" "I try to be prompt. Are you guys ready?" Jenny inspected Davie making sure that he was wearing his shoes. Satisfied that Davie was ready she answered, "Yes we are. Where are we going?" "It's a surprise, mommy!" "Really?" John answered, "Yes, really. Now let's get in the car and I'll take you there!" They piled into the car with the giddiness of kids. Jenny felt years younger and John just was young. Davie was the only one acting his age. After a little hassle over him wanting to sit in the front seat, John was able to convince him that it was hard to be a Chauffeur when the important person was seated in the front seat. John took the walking stick apart and set it on the seat between him and Jenny. Turning to face the back seat, he asked, "Is the Master ready to leave?" "Yes! Let's go! Follow that car!" giggled Davie. Jenny smiled at the easy banter between John and Davie. She had worried about Davies' reaction to having a man show up at the house. She guessed she was lucky that it was John. He had a very disarming way about him. It was a short drive to the place that John had picked for the date. It was a combined miniature golf course and go-cart racetrack. She looked at John in surprise, "Here?" Davie uttered one word in an awed voice, "Cool!" John smiled and only stated, "Let's go guys!" For the next three hours, they played miniature golf, ate, and drove go-carts. Davie won the prize for high score in miniature golf. The prize was Cotton Candy on a paper cone. The prize quickly disappeared. He was delighted. John and Davie had gone on the go-cart racing Jenny. John drove while Davie encouraged him to go faster and faster. They tied and had to share the first-place prize of Nachos. They had a little racetrack with electric cars that went about as fast as a walk. Davie drove his car on the track against four other kids. John and Jenny were jumping up and down along side the track cheering him on. He came in second place and was flushed with excitement. The only negative of the evening was when one kid swung a putter at the head of another. The blow, which would have been very damaging, had been blocked by John who had inserted his putter in the path. The mothers of the two children were frantic and thanked John profusely, but he just shrugged it off. He was fortunate that Jenny and Davie were in the bathroom at the time, so it didn't spoil the evening. Davie was tired by the time they headed back to the car. He offered no resistance to getting in the back seat or buckling his seat belt. He fell asleep after uttering a weak, "Follow that car." On arriving at Jenny's house, John carried Davie into the house. He followed Jenny to Davies' bedroom and laid him on the bed. He stepped back and whispered to Jenny, "They're so cute when they fall asleep like that." She smiled and went to get Davie dressed for bed. John discretely stepped out of the room and retraced his steps to the living room. He looked around the room at the toys scattered on the floor, most of them in front of the television. It looked like any other living room that was occupied by a five year old kid. He sat on the couch to wait for Jenny. He continued his examination of the room from his position. There were very few pictures or items of a personal nature reflecting Jenny. Most of the pictures were of Davie. Despite the apparent chaos due to scattered toys, the room was neat. There wasn't any dust or empty plates scattered about. Things that were out of Davies' reach were in their place. Despite her circumstances, she still managed to keep track of the important details. Jenny entered the room and immediately began to apologize, "I'm sorry the house is such a..." John interrupted, "Your house looks like every house that has children. I think that if I ever went into a house that was spotless and had children, I wouldn't like the children and I'd hate the parents that forced their kids to live that way. Kids are messy and to pretend otherwise is wrong." Jenny laughed, "You always did know the right thing to say to me." John smiled as she joined him on the couch. She leaned her head against his good shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her. They sat there quietly just enjoying each other's company. After a while, John noticed the deep regular breathing that indicated Jenny had fallen asleep. He carefully got up and laid her down on the sofa. Looking around, he spotted a blanket. He got it and laid it over her. Kissing her on the forehead, he went to the door and turned to take one last look at her. She was beautiful again. He left the house, locking the door behind him. ------- Chapter 6 John stood in line at the cafeteria with his tray full of food on the shelf in front of him. It was a standard southern cafeteria where you push your tray along a shelf, selecting the items that you wanted to eat. The person behind the counter would serve up a single portion. At the end of the counter, you paid for your meal based on what you had taken. More often than not, a person would select a lot more food than they could eat. John looked at his tray and wondered how he was going to eat everything. In the line ahead of him was another man who appeared to be about three years older than he was. He was dressed in a white shirt with a tie and dress pants. He looked like a normal businessman at dinner, but his posture reflected a sense of defeat. His eyes were down cast, his voice a flat monotone and his shoulders slumped. Listlessly, he pushed his tray along the shelf. At the register, he paid for his food and aimlessly walked off to find a table. John watched him go. He turned to the lady at the register and commented, "He looks like he's had a rough day." She shook her head, "He's like that every day; both at lunch and at dinner." John nodded and paid for his meal. Stepping away from the register, he looked around the room. Most of the tables were occupied. He noticed the guy who had been in front of him at a table sitting alone. He walked over to the table and stopped, "Excuse me, do you mind if I join you? I really hate to eat alone." The man looked up in surprise at John. He asked, "Are you talking to me?" "Sure, can I join you?" "I guess." The man arranged his tray to make a little room at the table for John. John set his tray down and extended his hand, "I'm John Carter!" "Jack Anderson," replied the man as he shook John's hand. The tired look fled his eyes for a moment. "Nice to meet you Jack. Doesn't this food look good?" "I guess so. I eat here twice a day, so I don't really notice. Fridays they have fried seafood. I usually get the shrimp for lunch and the fish for dinner. That's pretty good," replied Jack. It had been a while since he had talked to someone in a social situation. He felt like he was babbling. "Well, I really appreciate you letting me join you. I travel a lot during the summer and it really gets old eating alone." "I know what you mean. I always eat alone." Jack wondered for a moment if John was gay and trying to pick him up. His doubts were immediately put aside as he watched John eye an attractive woman as she walked past their table. "So, what do you do for a living?" "I'm an accountant." Jack answered expecting to hear some negative comment about counting beans. "Really? You know most people don't think too highly of accountants, but they are the backbone of any well-run business. To be able to make good business decisions, you have to have good information. The accountant is the person you go to for that information. It's a tough profession." The respect in John's voice was real. John also knew that the average businessman didn't know how to ask the right questions of an accountant. Jack stared at John in amazement. He wasn't used to getting understanding and respect. "Are you an accountant too?" "No, I'm a physicist." "Oh." Suddenly, Jack felt a little intimidated. It took him a minute before he recalled how his profession could impact others. He hadn't thought that other professions could produce the same conversation killing effect. "Yeah, that's as good of a conversation killer as telling someone you're an accountant." John replied with a smile. He continued, "You know. Most women think that if you get a brainy occupation like ours that your sense of fun dries up. But you know what is worse, they think your balls fall off!" Jack laughed and nodded his head in agreement. He didn't know how often he had told a woman his profession only to be greeted with an 'oh' and a sudden excuse to be else where. He shrugged, "So how are you supposed to counteract that?" "Well, that's a tough one. Sometimes I pretend like I misunderstood the question." "Huh?" "Well, if they ask me what I do for a living, I tell them I have sex. Usually that gets quite a reaction. Then I act as if I realize that I misunderstood the question. That's when I say, oh you mean what do I do for a living. I tell them that I thought the question was what do I do to feel alive. Then I tell them that I'm a scientist." "Does it work?" "Oh they usually go away thinking I'm a pervert or something, but they do know that I haven't lost my balls." John smiled across the table. Jack laughed. He shook his head in surprise. This John fellow was funny. He looked down at his plate and realized that he had finished his meal. He hadn't had such a fun time eating a meal since he graduated college. He observed, "I can't believe that I had so much fun eating a meal. Thanks for joining me." John looked up at Jack for a minute and then stated, "I tell you what. I'm going to baby sit a five year old boy. Why don't you come along? I'm sure you'll have some fun." Jack was about to turn him down and then thought about going home to his empty apartment. It sounded like a weird thing to do, but it was better than nothing. "Sure, I'll come along." They left the cafeteria after John retrieved his walking stick from the coat rack. Jack drove them in his car to Jenny's house with John giving directions. John led the way up the walkway and then knocked on the door. Davie answered, surprised to see another man with John. John knelt down and tickled Davie, "How are you doing ace?" Wriggling and giggling, Davie answered, "I'm okay." John stopped his tickling and stated, "Davie, I brought my friend Jack over to help tonight. There were just too many Bug Eyed Monsters the other day. I know you are the best shot in the known Universe, but we need help. The problem is that I'm a bad pilot. Jack here, is the third best shot. Can he join our team?" Davie looked up at Jack with a serious look on his face, "Are you really the third best shot in the known universe?" Jack felt like he was towering over everyone else and knelt down. He had no idea what was going on, but decided to play along, "Of course, he wouldn't say so if it wasn't true." Davie nodded his head quiet seriously, "Okay, he can join our team if it is okay with mommy." Jenny showed up with a smile for John and then noticed Jack. Puzzled she asked, "Is everything okay?" John looked up at Jenny. He broke out into a wide smile. "Oh hi. Jenny, this is Jack. Jack, this is Jenny." Jack stood up and took Jenny's hand. She was the most beautiful woman with whom he had talked in ages. He looked very uncomfortable as he stood there looking at her. He finally stated, "John invited me to help baby sit. If that's a problem, I'll go." Jenny examined John for a minute. She didn't really like the idea of two men babysitting her son. She trusted John, but decided that she would rush through her shopping trip. She said, "No, that's okay. I won't be gone long." Jenny rushed home from her shopping trip. The chance to go grocery shopping without taking a five year old kid with her had been too tempting to resist. It hadn't been as pleasant an experience as she had hoped. The whole time she had worried about leaving her son with two grown men. It just didn't seem right. She quietly entered the house through the door next to the kitchen rather than front door of the house. She could hear giggling, laughing, and screaming coming from the front room. As she moved closer, she clearly heard John excitedly say, "There's a bug eyed monster over there and one over there." This was followed by two different voices going "zzzzzzzing". Puzzled she looked around the corner into the living room. The cushions of the couch had been removed and placed upright along the couch creating an enclosure. The three of them were sitting in the enclosure. John was making steering motions with his hands. On either side of him were the other two with their hands held in the position of pistols. All three of them were grinning like idiots. John shouted, "Two more coming." Jack and Davie made the 'zzzzzing' noises again. John shouted out, "Jack, you only wounded yours." Davie suggested, "You have to lead them. That way they move into the shot!" "zzzzzing," shouted Jack. He looked around John and told Davie, "Thanks. Maybe one day I'll become the second best shot in the Universe!" John shouted, "Oh no! Another dust cloud." All three started bouncing in their seats, laughing and giggling the whole time. Jenny stared in amazement as the two adults played in the make-believe world of a five year old. She backed into the kitchen and unloaded the groceries. She realized that she should have trusted John a little more. He'd had several opportunities to take advantage of her and had always acted the gentleman. After putting up all of the groceries, she made a pitcher of iced tea. After all the energy they were expending in the living room, she was sure they would be thirsty. She took a minute to relax and realized that it was the first time in ages that she had just sat in her kitchen resting. The past few days with John had been like a breath of fresh air. She got up and entered the living room. Her entrance brought utter silence as all three looked around guiltily at the mess they had made of the room. She looked around and stated in a mock stern voice, "What did I tell you about making a mess?" Davie frowned and answered, "Yes mommy." John lowered his head with an exaggerated frown. "Yes, ma'am." Jack brought up the rear assuming a like posture. "Yes, ma'am." John eased himself off the couch. "Davie, how about you pick up the tool set we use to fix the rocket ship and put it back in your room. Jack will put the couch together. I'll pick up the hand grenades over here." Davie smiled relieved that there were at least two adults there to get in trouble. He agreed easily, "Okay John." Davie bustled off with his little tool kit to put it in his room. Jack started putting the cushions back on the couch. John went around the room picking up the other toys they had used as hand grenades. Jenny watched with an amused smile on her face. When they were all done with their respective chores she asked, "You boys care for some iced tea?" John turned and answered, "That sounds great." Jack hesitated. Jenny understood and interjected, "Come on Jack, it won't be a problem." Jack smiled and agreed, "That would be so wonderful." Jenny smiled and suggested, "Let's all go in the kitchen and have our tea there." They were joined by Davie who ate a Popsicle. As they sat around the kitchen table, the conversation centered mostly on Davie and the activities that would take place next time they were to watch over him. Davie looked a little hesitant about continuing the space journey. John noticed that and asked, "Is there something else that you would like to do next time?" His mother couldn't teach him the one thing that he really wanted to know. Davie hesitated and then blurted out, "Can you teach me baseball?" John frowned, "Gosh, I don't know how to play baseball. Do you know how, Jack?" Jack looked at John in surprise, "Sure, I know how." John turned to Davie, "Would it be okay if Jack taught you how to play baseball if it's okay with your mother?" Davie turned to his mother excitedly, "Can he?" Jenny looked at John in puzzlement for a minute. She couldn't believe that he didn't know how to play baseball. She decided that she would just have to trust him. "I guess it would be alright." Davie screamed, "Yeaaa!" Jenny smiled at seeing Davie so happy. She hated to tell him that it was bedtime, but he would be impossible tomorrow if he didn't get his rest tonight. "Well, I hate to say this buddy, but it's your bedtime." Davie started to protest, but Jack interrupted, "Hey, don't you know that all ball players have to get plenty of rest." Davie felt like he was being tricked but decided not to take the chance of being wrong. "Okay, I'll go to bed now." Jenny went to help Davie get ready for bed. She came back and refilled everyone's glasses. With Davie gone, the conversation turned to the more adult topics of politics and the economy. Soon Jenny and Jack were arguing over the economic policies of the current president. The conversation went from that to the difficulties of running a business. Jack tended to view it in terms of return on investment while she tended to view it in terms of bringing in customers and making a profit on each one. They soon had exchanged occupations and rather than halting the conversation, things became a little more animated. John sat back and watched the other two. Jenny was full of questions about how to better organize her books. Jack was full of questions about how she ran her business. John wondered how long it would be before there were Soup Shoppes everywhere. It was soon late and they all agreed that it was time to head off to their respective homes. Jack was the first to leave, but had arranged to visit her at the Soup Shoppe to review her books. At the front door, he thanked John and Jenny for the best evening he had in ages. His sincerity was touching. Even Jenny realized just how lonely Jack had been over the past few years. It seemed to resonate with her loneliness. As John left, Jenny grabbed his arm. He turned and she embraced him. Tears were running down her face, "Thanks so much John." "For what?" Jenny replied, "For everything. You never pressure me, but you always do the right thing to make me feel better." "You're welcome." "Jack is a smart guy," stated Jenny. "Yeah, he also has a good heart," replied John. He added, "He needs someone like Davie to remind him how to play." Jenny was quiet for a moment. She knew John was leaving in less than a week and she was afraid of the day he would go. She realized that John had given her a gift that might help take the emptiness away. She still held John in a hug. She whispered, "He may need something more than Davie." It wasn't until the day before John was to leave that the four of them were together again as a group. John had babysat Davie almost every night while Jack and Jenny had gone out. It had started with them going over her books for her store. The next night it was a movie. The night after that it was dinner. Saturday, Jack had spent the afternoon in the park with Jenny and Davie teaching the boy how to play Tee Ball and then spent the evening at the house putting together a barbecue grill. Today they had agreed to meet for a potluck dinner. John showed up carrying a pot of his famous camp beans. Jack had brought over three huge steaks and a hamburger patty. Jenny had fixed up a potato salad and had a watermelon chilling on ice. Davie had proudly picked out the watermelon. He went around telling everyone that this one was orange inside rather than red. It was a nice family afternoon in the small backyard. The Frisbee flew around with Davie dropping it more often than catching it. John and Jenny sat in lawn chairs sipping iced tea watching Davie and Jack play. John turned to Jenny stating, "I don't think it gets any better than this." "No, I don't think it does." She sat back and smiled. She had been smiling a lot lately. She added, "I feel more alive today than I have in ages." Jack bounded up and eased himself into one of the lawn chairs. After taking a sip of iced tea, he stated, "He's wearing me out." They all laughed as Davie came running up, sweat running down his face. He was breathing hard as he said, "I think I need to sit down for a little bit." After things had calmed down a bit, Jack broke the comfortable silence that had descended upon the group. "Let's get started with dinner." "Great idea. I'll set the table. John can start the fire while you get the steaks ready." Davie feeling left out, pouted, "What do I do?" Jack smiled. "You have to help me. You have the most important job. I need you to ask everyone how they like their steaks so I know how to cook them." Davie sat up a little prouder. He enjoyed being included in the adult activity of preparing dinner. He enjoyed having men around the house and having them treat him like a man. Everyone went off to perform their individual task. It wasn't long before the air was filled with the odor of cooking steaks. Davie had to run to everyone two and three times to make sure that he had their order right. The meat took its time to cook. Jack worried over the meat afraid to let anything burn. Soon, the table was set and everyone was seated around the table. Jack asked, "Who would like to say grace?" John answered, "I think that Davie ought to do it!" "Okay!" Davie smiled mischievously, "Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub. Amen!" Jack laughed aloud, "That's exactly the same one I used when I was your age!" Davie replied, "Really, John taught it to me!" Jenny playfully slapped the arms of the two men sitting on either side of her, "You two are incorrigible." The dinner went off without a hitch. Everyone took turns telling bad jokes. It was amazing how many knock-knock jokes Davie knew. The time passed and the meal was soon finished. The steaks were just bones. The pot of beans was empty. The potato salad had a small spoonful left; Davie proceeded to eat it when challenged that he couldn't eat any more. Jenny cleared the table and brought some large plates. Jack carved the watermelon and placed the slices on the plates. Davie was so proud of the orange melon. While eating the melon, they discussed the dangers of swallowing the seeds. Davie wasn't sure if he believed that if he swallowed a seed, that a watermelon would grow in his stomach. The conversation then drifted to various ways to spit out the seeds. The demonstrations were halted after a stern warning from Jenny. All three of the males managed to look abashed for a whole ten seconds before the snickers broke out. After the watermelon was finished, Davie went off to watch his favorite video. That left the adults sitting around the table. They sipped coffee and discussed what each was hoping to do in the future. Most of the conversation centered on John although he kept switching subjects away from himself. It was after about the tenth time that he had switched the subject, that he realized that Jack and Jenny were working together to get him to talk about himself. After that, he gave up and answered their questions. Jenny had been waiting for the opportunity to ask the one question that had been bothering her, "So how did you get injured?" John took a deep breath. "Well, I was in a convenience store when it got robbed. I got shot in the shoulder. The guy got caught. No big deal." Jack shook his head and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a piece of paper and opened it up. He stated, "This article that I found on the web tells a very different story. The title is 'A Hero Came To Town.'" Jenny looked over at Jack in surprise. "What does the article say?" "It basically says that John saved the life of the Sheriff's daughter by stepping in front of a bullet meant for her. In the process, he knocked the man out thereby enabling his capture. It goes on to say that the man was a serial killer and was wanted in two states. It goes on to state that John gave the reward money to the families of the victims. Let's see, it also says that he helped bring in a second doctor to work in the hospital, a doctor by the name of Dr. Doug Wilkins. Finally, it says that he saved the life of a little boy before leaving town. It seems he prevented the kid from stepping in front of an oncoming car. There's actually a picture of him saving the life of the kid." Jenny recognized the name of Dr. Doug Wilkins and knew some of the trouble that he had been in as a teenager. She arched her eyebrows and asked, "Anything else in that article?" "It says here that John was dead for four minutes before being resuscitated by the doctor. Let's see... It also says that Mr. John Carter was extremely modest about his actions saying that these things happened by accident or that anyone else would have done the same." Jenny turned to Jack and stated, "You know the first day he came into my café, he saved the life of our old Principal." John waved his hands, "hey, enough of this hero stuff. It's just plain old John Carter sitting here." Jenny looked at the kitchen clock and remarked, "Wow, I didn't realize where the time went. I have to give Davie his bath and then tuck him into bed. Why don't you two stay here and talk for a bit? I'm sure that Jack has some things to say to you." She left the room, but a minute later Davie came in. Davie threw his arms around John and cried, "I'm gonna miss you when you leave tomorrow. Do you really have to go?" "I'm gonna miss you too, ace. I really have to go, but don't worry. Jack is going to be here and he has to finish teaching you how to play baseball. And I bet he'll be happy to be pilot then next time you go hunting bug eyed monsters." "Yeah, I know. He's a nice guy." "Now, I know you're going to grow into a great young man that makes your mommy very proud of you. I'll be around sometimes to see you, don't worry about that." Davie held out a little box to John. "I have a going away present for you. Mommy and Jack helped me pick it out." "Oh, my," said John. "This is wonderful. Let me open it right now!" John unwrapped the present. Inside the box was a beautiful brass compass with an exquisite leather case. The compass had a cover to protect the glass. He opened the cover and inscribed inside were the simple words, 'Blessed Be.' He looked up to see Davie jumping up and down in excitement. He whistled, "This is beautiful. I can't believe it. This is the best present I've ever gotten." "I'm so glad you like it." "Thank you, Davie," he gave Davie a great big hug. Jenny cleared her throat, "Bath time." "Good bye, John." "Good bye, Davie. May the Gods and Goddesses watch over you and protect you from all harm." As Davie ran out of the room, Jack remarked, "That was an unusual blessing." "I'm gonna miss the little guy." Jack nodded and rested his elbows on the table with his hands laced. He leaned forward and rested his chin on his knuckles. He sat like that for several minutes before clearing his throat, "John, there's something very important I want to talk to you about." "You can level with me." "Well, Jenny and I had a long talk last night about our relationship. Anyway, it all boils down to the fact that I want to marry her." "I hope she said yes!" "Oh she did." John stood up and extended his hand, "congratulations. I'm so happy for you both. This is great news." Jack accepted his handshake and answered, "Thanks." "I hope you send me an invitation to the wedding." "Well, we want you to be the best man." "That's great. I'll be here for you guys." Jack resumed his thoughtful position once more. He was wrestling with how to say the next part. John interrupted his thoughts, "You can tell me straight out. I can tell you're worried about something. Just say it and if you say it wrong, then say it again until it comes out right. I won't mind." "John, Jenny wants you to stay the night here. I would appreciate it if you would do this for her." "Pardon?" "Jenny wants to go to bed with you. It is very important to her." "Jack, how do you feel about this?" "You know... at first... well... I'm all for it." "You don't sound very confident." Jack looked him straight in the eyes, "You know, until the day I met you I was the most unhappy man in the world. I had nothing. One day was like the next. I woke up. I ate cereal. I went to work. I went to lunch. I went back to work. I went to dinner. I went home and sat in the dark. Then I'd go to bed. I did that every day. My weekends were even worse, since I didn't even go to work. I had one date in ten years and that was a blind date arranged by my mother. It was horrible." Jack's eyes misted, "Then one day you blew into my life. Suddenly, I'm about to marry the most beautiful woman I've ever met. She's intelligent, witty, charming, and caring. I have a kid that is amazing in terms of his energy, sense of fun, and potential. I never thought I would have that. I haven't been home in the past three days. I've spent them here. I love them so much that at times I fear my heart is going to burst." Tears were now running down Jack's cheeks, "When I heard that you were leaving, I wanted to do something for you. The problem is that you are so self-sufficient and satisfied with what you have, that I have nothing to give you. My friendship? Hell, you had that ten minutes after you sat down at the table in the cafeteria. My love? That was given when we were on the couch shooting Bug Eyed Monsters." Jack pulled himself together, "When Jenny told me that she wanted to make love with you, I realized that here was something that I could do. I could share with you that most intimate form of happiness that you brought into my life. This is the most precious thing that I have and to share it with you, well it would make me happy." John started to reply, "I didn't..." Jack held up a hand. "I know what you are going to say. Let me say a few more things to you. In a funny way, we're not doing this for you. We're doing it for ourselves. You see, we have this great need inside us to find some appropriate way to thank you. This is what we found and we need to give it you." "Your modesty is nice and good. It means you do things for the right reasons. Yet, it also diminishes the actions that you perform. You see, saying that it was nothing makes something that was important to someone appear as though it were nothing to you. You cheapen the experience. You have to learn to let people say thank you. Accept the little gifts of gratitude that they give you and appreciate them. It lets them recognize that you understand how important the occasion was for them." "Maybe instead of saying it was nothing, it would be better for you to say that you were happy to be of service to them. That you are happy that everything worked out for them. Turn the attention from yourself back to their understanding of the experience. It allows you to remain modest, yet it completes the experience for those you've helped." John sat back in the chair and thought about what Jack had said. It was a revelation to him that he might be hurting people; even if it was unintentional. He could see how important this relationship was to Jack and Jenny. Jack was sitting up straight, his voice was active, and he laughed at bad jokes. Jenny looked years younger. He took a minute to choose his words carefully, "You know, I wander through this world basically happy with myself and those around me. I know I occasionally help someone. I've never given it a second thought; it just seems like the natural thing to do. Does one take pride in being able to breathe? No, you toss it off as nothing. Nevertheless, you gave me some great advice. One also has to consider just how important it is to breathe." John took Jack's hand in both of his. He stated, "Jack, I accept the gift from you and Jenny. You are both great people. I am honored that you have chosen to share this part of your life together with me." Jack stood up and shook his hand. John stood up as well. The handshake turned into a hug. Finally, Jack said, "Well, I better get going. I'll be seeing you around." John said, "I understand. I'll be seeing you around." At the door, Jack turned around and stated, "You know. Until I actually explained it to you, I didn't really understand how important this was to me. May God watch over you and allow no harm to come to you." John watched Jack leave. He couldn't believe the luck that had led him to met Jack. He returned to the table and looked at the coffee cup. He took a large sip and swished the cold coffee around his mouth. Everyone knows the flavor of cold coffee held in the mouth too long; he felt it was one of the universal experiences. Jenny called out to him, "John, could you come here?" ------- Chapter 7 Weddings are extremely stressful for the major participants. The bride has struggled to locate the right wedding dress, the bride's parents have struggled with an overly emotional bride arranging the event, and the groom is just nervous at losing his freedom. Flowers don't show up on time, dresses don't fit, the bridesmaids dicker, and the groom is always wrong. Someone, somewhere, fouls up something simple and a major catastrophe is the result. Tears of worry, happiness, and raw nerves dominate the proceedings. The best man has the easiest job of all the people associated with a wedding. He is responsible for throwing a bachelor party for the groom, making sure the groom shows up on time, carrying the ring, and making a toast at the wedding reception. In this case, the wedding had a ring bearer so that reduced the responsibilities by one. Bachelor parties have a wild reputation, but the one John threw for Jack was tame, much to the relief of the bride. The fathers of the bride and groom, John, Jack, and Davie spent the evening at the miniature golf and go-cart track. Everyone had a great time. The party was over by 8:30, but Jack and John spent hours afterwards chatting about life, love, and living the American way. They were early at the church and dressed in their tuxedos. The ceremony went off without a hitch. The ring carrier, Davie, did his part without flaw. The last remaining responsibility was to give the toast and John still hadn't decided what was appropriate to say. He thought back to his interactions with Jenny and Jack. He recalled the details of day he ran into Jenny and the evening he met Jack. Most telling was the last night of that stay. Jenny had called him to come into her bedroom. When he entered the room, she was posed on the bed in a manner that she clearly thought was sexy. It wasn't. It looked contrived and didn't reflect the Jenny he knew. He slowly undressed as she watched. Her nervousness was quite apparent, but also it was clear that she had expected a little more hurry on his part. When his pants came off, he could tell that she was confused by the fact that he wasn't erect yet. He understood her confusion; she had never been with a man that wasn't erect before being undressed. He had slowly climbed into the bed with her. All of his actions were intended to increase the tension. He slowly moved his hands to her body. Suddenly he tickled her and didn't let up until she was screaming, giggling, laughing, and thrashing on the bed. When he stopped, she sat up. It took her a moment to get her composure back. With a little irritation and lots of confusion in her voice, she asked, "What did you do that for?" He answered, "Oh, I was just trying to get the Jenny that I know in bed with me!" "What do you mean?" "I mean that you are not some sort of playmate model posing for a centerfold. You are Jenny; a warm, fun, interesting, sexy, and exciting young woman." Jenny sat there for a moment and then began to cry. John held her in his arms letting her get it out of her system. Sobbing she said, "You don't find me sexy!" John answered, "Quite the opposite. I find you extremely sexy." "Then why didn't you come in here and make love to me." John answered, "I remember the time you took me into the woods. I was so excited that I could hardly breathe. I had no real idea what I was doing, I must have taken two minutes to get my cock in you. A minute later it was all over. It was the most amazing experience of life to that point in time. However, my memories about that time are not good." "What do you mean?" "Well, you acted like you enjoyed it, but I have since learned that my performance was totally lousy. You deserved more from me." "I wouldn't say that. It was normal." John sighed as he realized what that meant. Her experiences in bed had not progressed beyond simple in-out fucking, even with Jack. He bent down and gently kissed her on the lips. His tongue teased her open mouth, running along the upper lip without entering. He sucked in her upper lip and then let it go. He teased her mouth until she was grabbing his head trying to get him to complete the kiss. He didn't ram his tongue into her mouth, but gently explored it, penetrating slowly. Her breathing deepened as a wave of sexual excitement rolled over her. He kissed his way to her neck. He took it slow and easy with soft little touches of his lips to her skin. They were the same as caresses performed with his lips rather than hands. He nibbled upon her earlobe, gently and softly with feather light touches. He worked his way to her breasts; breasts that were striated with the marks of motherhood. He kissed the valley between them. His hands roamed along the length of her body with long, light, and slow caresses. He kissed his way up her right breast; stopping when he reached the aureole. He shifted to the left breast and repeated the same treatment. Her breathing was deeper than before. Her body moved sensuously under his hand. He ran his tongue around her aureole never touching the nipple. First one breast, then the other, and back again to repeat the pattern. Her nipples were now hardened points begging to be touched. He firmly cupped her buttocks with his hand and then moved his hand so that it was caressing her inner thigh. He ran his hand from knee to breast, breast to breast, and then down to the other knee. He did not let his hand venture too close to her cunt. The tension had to build before he would reach that point. Her excitement grew. She was moaning and twisting, trying to get his mouth to her nipples and his hand to her cunt. She tried to touch herself, but he blocked her hand. He relented and circled each nipple with his tongue. Occasionally, he stopped and blew on the nipple. The warm wetness of his saliva quickly cooled under his breath. When she whimpered out of frustrated excitement, he aggressively sucked a nipple into his mouth. She screamed out in surprise and in pleasure. He started to kiss his way down her stomach. He stopped at the navel to slip his tongue into it and explore its depths. Her stomach shook, in part from the tickling sensation that his tongue created and the pleasure that came from having parts of her body explored for the first time. She gasped when he continued to work his way down to her cunt. Never had a man kissed her below the waist. He moved himself between her legs. He slid his tongue along her skin outside her cunt lips, but not quite touching them. Her body began to move of its own accord. She wiggled trying to get attention to her cunt. Her hand slipped down, but he stopped it. Her hand moved up to her breasts and started to play with her nipples. She squeezed them much harder than he had, shocking herself with the strength of her desire. Her cunt had opened like a flower, ready to accept his attentions. He licked from the bottom of her cunt towards the clitoris, stopping just before reaching it. Her hands flew from her breasts and grabbed his head. She held his head and thrust her cunt up against his tongue. She had lost all control in her excitement. At the first opportunity, he sucked her clit into his mouth. At that point, she came and came hard. She pulled his head into her and wrapped her legs around his body so that he couldn't move or breathe. Her body jerked without control; spasms of pleasure that ebbed and flowed within her signaled an intense orgasm. She finally fell back, exhausted and satiated like never before. John rose from between her legs and moved to lie beside her. He held her tightly, allowing her to recover from her orgasm. She lay upon the bed, feeling safe in his arms. Little shivers ran through her body. It was her first orgasm. As John held her, her shivers changed to a quiet shaking. He felt moisture on his chest and knew that she was crying. He allowed her to cry for several minutes. He knew the answer before he asked the question, "Why are you crying?" "Jack doesn't love me." "Why do you think that?" "Because if he did, he would have made love to me like that!" John smiled, "The other day you were surprised that I didn't know how to play baseball." Jenny wasn't sure what that had to do with Jack not loving her. "I don't follow." "Well, just suppose that how well I played baseball was a measure of my love for Davie. I guess that would mean that I don't love Davie." "No, you don't know how." "Exactly, Jack doesn't know how to do the things that I do in bed. You say that means he doesn't love you. I guess it is a shame that he didn't have someone to teach him how to make love before he met you." "You're equating making love with knowing how to play baseball," replied Jenny. The argument that John was constructing bothered her. Making love wasn't like baseball. Men were supposed to know how to make love. "Of course, all men are supposed to know how to make love. How stupid of me to think otherwise. Of course, all men are supposed to know how to play baseball. Neither of them is fully developed in a man unless he has had a chance to learn the proper skills. I'm equating knowing how to do something with being good at it and that not knowing also means that one is not good at it." "I'm not sure." "Suppose that how quickly Davie was able to learn baseball from me was a measure of his love for me. I guess since I don't know how to play baseball would mean that Davie didn't love me because I wouldn't be able to give him the proper coaching." Jenny was quiet for a moment, "That isn't fair to Davie." "I guess you don't love Jack." "Yes, I do. That's why I'm upset," retorted Jenny indignant at the accusation that she didn't love him. "Do you know what are the sensitive areas of his cock? Do you know how to massage his prostate gland to give him more intense orgasms? Do you know if he likes it when you play with his nipples? Do you know how much pressure he likes when you give him a blowjob?" Uncertainty entered her voice, "I don't know any of those things." "But if you loved Jack you would know them." "That's not fair. I love Jack. I just don't know that stuff." "Ah, you love him but you don't know how to make love to him. You don't know enough to coach him. I guess that means you aren't right for each other. Sorry." "No!" Jenny didn't want to give up something that was so good. She enjoyed being with Jack. They laughed together, they talked about the things that lovers talk about, and he understood her every day needs better than she understood them at times. Jack smiled, "I guess the only answer is that for the next few years of your life together, you get to learn how to make love with each other. You get to experiment by trying new things. If you can't think of new things, you can go to books and find new things to try. I can't think of a better future for anyone." Jenny smiled, "It does sound like fun." John got serious for a moment, "You have to understand that you and Jack will want to try things that the other won't want to try. Some things might even sound weird or funny to you, but you shouldn't judge. You really have no idea how important it may be the other person." "What do you mean?" "Well, suppose you tell Jack that you want him to do what I did to you. Then suppose he laughed and asked you why you want him to lick you down there. How would you feel?" "I'd be hurt." "Why would you be hurt?" asked John. He was making progress in getting her to understand the politics of sex. He wondered how many women never learned what he was teaching Jenny. "Because I know it feels good." "Suppose he were to ask you to wear a strap-on dildo and have you fuck his ass?" "What's a strap-on dildo?" "It is a fake cock that attaches to a harness. You wear it and it is as if you had a cock of your own." Jenny broke out laughing, "You've got to be crazy. Why would he want that?" "Because when you do that, you massage his prostate. That can give a man a very intense orgasm. How would he feel if you had laughed at him like you did me?" Now that she realized that there might actually be a good reason why a man might want that, she realized that her response had been rather dismissive of his wants. Still, she couldn't help feeling that she'd feel stupid doing something like that. She meekly replied, "He'd be hurt." "Exactly," replied John. He paused a moment for that to sink in. He added, "If you were to do that, he might never tell you other things that might make him feel real good. You always have to take his requests seriously. If you don't, you'll destroy his trust that you take his needs seriously." "That's awful." "Yes, it is. The two of you need to talk about this kind of stuff or else you will end up with a dead sex life. Once that dies, then the rest follows." "What do we need to talk about?" "Well, you might want to talk about what kind of marriage you want to have." Jenny was confused and it showed. She had no idea what he meant by kind of marriage. She tried to puzzle it out, but couldn't make sense of it. Finally, she asked, "What do you mean by that? Is there more than one kind of marriage?" "Do you want a marriage that is consistent with the dictates of society or do you want one that has a lot more freedom to adapt to both of your wants and needs?" Still puzzled, she blurted out, "Aren't they the same thing?" John laughed, "Not at all. You know, I once had a fundamentalist preacher explain to me that sexual relations between husband and wife should be performed only for creating children. Once you have enough children, then you should stop having sex. If you don't, then you are a sinner." "Ugh, that's horrible." "Well, there's a less restrictive kind of marriage that probably represents the most common framework for marriage. A man and woman meet each other, they get married, and then they are never supposed to look at any one else in a sexual way. Each partner is supposed to be able to fulfill all of the needs of the other by the simple fact that they love them." Jenny nodded in agreement, "Isn't that what marriage is supposed to be?" "Well, I would agree with you except that in my experience it doesn't work out that way. That's why there's a fifty percent divorce rate in this country. One or the other partner finds that the other is unable to fulfill all of their needs, so they go to someone else who fulfills that particular gap. The problem is, that violates the whole framework of the marriage and both end up feeling cheated." "You sound like you don't approve of that kind of marriage." John was quiet for a minute as he thought about how to answer her. "Basically, I don't. It fails to take into account the fact that no single person can fulfill all of the needs of the other. It seems to me that the successful marriage framework has to take that into account. It has to allow each partner to step outside the marriage to fulfill some need or desire that the other can't or won't fulfill without lying." "Isn't that like making it okay to cheat?" He retorted, "Isn't that what you are doing now?" Jenny sat back in anger, "No! I'm not cheating on John. We talked about this!" "Relax," answered John, "That is exactly what I meant when I said that the marriage framework has to take things like this into account to work. Jack told me that you both had a need to thank me and that this was the best way it could be done. That discussion between you and Jack is exactly what I'm driving at. You both choose to step outside those narrowly defined boundaries of an acceptable marriage because it answered a need both of you had." He watched Jenny for her reaction. When she had relaxed a little, he continued, "Suppose that you want to find out what it would be like to have sex with two men at once. Maybe he wants to watch you have sex with a woman. It might even be the case that you want to try sex with a woman. Maybe he wants to have sex with a man. Maybe you want him to have sex with a man while you watch. Maybe he wants to eat another man's come out of your cunt right after you've finished fucking. The point is that there are a lot of maybes out there and to shut them out of your life together before you even have a chance to discuss them with each other seems to me to be wrong." She nodded, "You know. I've never thought about that before. I was always told that when you got married that your desires would focus only on your husband and vice versa." "That focus is still there. If you have sex with another man or a woman and you do it because you both want to try it, have you actually stopped focusing on each other? If it is his fantasy, then you are doing it for his pleasure. If you both have the same fantasy, aren't you still focusing on each other by giving the other the chance to experience it? If it is your fantasy, aren't you letting him be a loving caring husband by letting him do this for you?" She frowned as she struggled to make sense out of his argument. It went against everything that she had believed and, yet, she had just done it. She answered, "I'm going to have to think about this for a while and make up my mind." John shook his head, "Don't make up your mind until after you and Jack talk. Even then, don't shut the door on this topic until you are both a little more confidant in your sexuality. What fantasies do you have?" Jenny shrugged her shoulders, "I don't really have any." "I would have guessed so. You've been so busy and cut off from other people until now that you didn't have a chance to fantasize. Just getting a person to share your life with was dream enough. When you start having sex regularly and it is fantastic, then you are going to start having all kinds of thoughts. You'll see an interesting scene in a movie and then you'll turn to him to hint that it was hot and you want to try it. Same thing goes for Jack. He's been so lonely that just being with you is more than enough. He'll want more after a while." Jenny was quiet for a long time thinking about what John had said. Finally, she decided that she knew a flaw in this whole scheme, "What about jealousy?" "Big subject. What would happen if you went to Jack and said that I was better in bed than him?" "Oh, he'd be hurt!" "What would happen if you went to Jack and said that I licked your pussy. Then you said that it was wild and that the whole time I was doing it, you kept thinking how much better it would have been if it had been Jack. Would he be hurt, angry, jealous, or maybe prompted into letting you know just how good it would be?" "Hmm." "And suppose he was horrible at it. Would you tell him that he was bad? I hope not. Wouldn't it be better if everything that he did right you let him know that he was doing it right? Give him positive feedback so that he improves. Soon he'll know how to lick you better than I ever can!" John cradled Jenny in his arms and stated softly, "You two need to talk. Not just once, but all the time. You need to establish your own boundaries and decide what is right for you. You have to continually reappraise things and change as you grow or else you will grow apart. That is real intimacy, not sex." Jenny kissed him on the cheek, "Thanks John. You are so nice to me. You know just what to say and you never push. Jack and I will talk." He had then told her, "Great. I have to get home. It is late and I'm leaving tomorrow. Let me know when you guys are ready to get married and I'll be here. Okay?" "Thanks." John had left for school the next morning. Then four days ago had come back to be the best man in the wedding. His second night here, he had thrown the bachelor party for Jack. Afterwards, Jack and John had talked for several hours. It seems that Jenny had followed his advice and talked with Jack. He learned about this in a conversation that had started out very surprising with Jack stating, "You know that Jenny woke up the morning you left town very angry." John was surprised. He had thought things were good when he left. He apologized, "I didn't know that. What did I do? What can I do to make up for it?" Jack saw the panic on John's face and laughed, "Yes, she woke up and realized that you had given her the best orgasm of her life and that you had left before you had one!" John smiled, "Sorry about that. I guess we talked and I forgot why I was there." "That's okay, she's gonna make it up to you one day," answered Jack with a great big smile. He continued, "You know when she told me that you ate her cunt, I was shocked. I knew about that, but didn't know what the big deal was. I'll tell you this, I know now. When I saw how she reacted when I started licking and tonguing her, I thought to myself that this was better than an orgasm. I couldn't believe how much pleasure I gave to her that night." "I guess you guys are talking to each other." "Oh, you bet. You have no idea how much your advice has meant to us. We've discovered things about each other and ourselves that I never dreamed about. Thank you, so much." "I'm glad you two are happy." "I've never been happier." The conversation continued for several hours with exchanges of hopes and dreams for the future. It was the first time that the two men had talked about such things with another man. It was proof that a real bond of friendship existed between them. John decided he knew what to say in his toast. He stood and tapped the side of his glass with a knife making a clear ringing sound that captured everyone's attention. He started, "For those of you who don't know me, I'm John Carter. I'm the best man and it is my duty to give a rousing good toast to the newlyweds. Those who know me know that I seldom talk about myself and that I spend most of my time walking through the wilderness alone. I am going to break one of those habits for a little while today and talk about myself." "I spend almost a third of the year hiking; I hike all summer and every weekend. Every morning when I wake, I restart my campfire from whatever coals remain from the night before. Once the fire is started, I wait and watch the sunrise. It has become a ritual that I perform religiously." "I've watched the sun rise from every part of the country and under every weather condition possible. I want you to know that I know sunrises. Occasionally, I get the chance to watch a truly magnificent sunrise that precedes a gloriously beautiful day and I want to describe it to you." "A truly great sunrise comes in stages. In the first stage, the sky is a dark gray that slowly lightens. The second stage is the false dawn. The entire eastern horizon is illuminated with brilliant yellows, purples, violets, and other colors too fantastic to name. Slowly the colors soften as we approach true dawn. The sky turns a glorious blue. A cold wind blows into your face as you watch the horizon. This wind blows exactly at the moment the sun peeks over the horizon and only lasts a few seconds. Even though it is cold and chills you to the bone, I've always considered it the morning kiss of the Goddess of Life." "Now in a great dawn, you first see the dark grayness of the world around you. Then you watch as the darkness disappears as the light illuminates world. This illumination is amazing; it possesses an intensity and purpose that you never see any other time of the day. However, a line is drawn across the world. It separates that part of the world that is lit from that part still untouched by a ray of sunshine. The lit part shines with vibrant colors while the rest remains dark gray. That line moves down the vista around you. It illuminates more and more of the world. It gives you a sense of hope that soon you will be illuminated and shine with a brilliance of colors that is rare. You want to cry because it moves you in the deepest part of your soul. Even the animals respond. A silence descends as they wait in anticipation. Finally, the sun rises completely and the whole world is illuminated. The birds sing, the squirrels chatter, and the brooks babble. Your hope has been fulfilled." "Before Jenny and John met, the sky was a dark gray. Then they met and the sky lit up with colors of amazing hue. It was so beautiful that it made you want to hold your breath. The colors of those early days have transitioned to a vibrant blue. Today, in the ceremony that has just taken place, the sun has poked above the horizon as they have declared their love in public for the whole world to know. The light of their love is illuminating us and as they move forth into this world, they will light others. We shine as a result of their light. I know this. Look at Davie, he's happier than I've ever seen him. I heard that he hit a home run the other day in tee ball. Look at their parents. Have you ever seen anyone look so proud and happy in your whole life? The smiles in this room tell me that this is one of those magnificent dawns that leads to a wonderful day." He turned to face the newlyweds and continued, "I want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Jack Anderson for allowing us to bask in their light on this, a most amazing day. I know they will light the world with their love for a long time. Here is to the happy couple. Cheers." John looked around the room in amazement at the reaction that his toast had sparked. Almost everyone's eyes were moist, a few were crying outright. Jack and Jenny were hugging each other tightly overwhelmed by emotion. Finally, Jenny's parents started to clap and the rest of the room joined in. This was followed by the clink of glasses as people took a sip of the Champagne or bubbly grape juice as was the case for John and Davie. ------- Chapter 8 John sat at the desk in his laboratory mulling over a paper. This paper had been buried under some equipment in the corner of the lab. He found it last fall when he was cleaning the lab in preparation of setting it up for his experiments. The experiment described in the paper had been proven incorrect several years ago, but the experimental part is not what had caught his attention. There was a small section of the paper that suggested the reason for the current temperature of the planet might be due to a slow cold fusion process within the planet. He sat there thinking about that line wondering what kind of physical environment within the earth could support a cold fusion process. This, of course, was not his research project. He occasionally wrestled with this little problem when he could no longer concentrate on his real research. His real research required intense concentration in lining up mirrors, checking the beam path of the lasers, and regulating the flow of dye into the laser. It could take him a month of effort to set up a particular experiment. One moment of inattention to detail could set him back a whole day. Sometimes, he wondered whether it was worth a month of work to collect a day of data. It almost didn't seem reasonable, but that was the nature of his research. Everything needed to be perfect. The original laser beam was broken into eight separate beams using six beam splitters. The eight individual beams were individually amplified. They were then arranged to meet at a single point in space coming from eight different directions. The path lengths of each beam were intended to assure that all beams impinged the meeting point with equal phase. At that point, a droplet of a liquid was suspended. The experiment used a separate low-power laser to probe the droplet for surface deformations. However, today, the paper was not keeping his attention. He was distracted by some inner force urging him out of the lab. He tried to ignore it, but the urge just kept getting stronger. He knew it would only be a matter of time before he would give in to it. He checked his watch and decided that he would quit early today. He stood, grabbed his walking stick and headed out of the lab. It was springtime and he had been in Austin since August. An hour later, he was roaming the Austin streets of a rather poor neighborhood. As he walked, he took in details of his surroundings. The houses were set back from the street by a mere ten yards with small little lawns. Some homes were well kept; the lawns were lush and green, the houses painted, and the curtains in the window washed. Freshly planted flowers lent blues, yellows, and reds that pleased the eye. Other homes were just the opposite; weeds and trash littered the yard, the paint was peeling, and windows were broken. Many of the houses had porches with two or three chairs. Usually, the chairs were occupied by elderly couples chatting and watching the world. John would wave to couples and often stopped to exchange pleasantries about the weather. Many of the older residents recognized him from his past wanderings through the neighborhood. His passing through the neighborhood was a subject of much discussion among the people living there. It had been noted by them that his presence in the area often meant that something bad was going to happen, but that the worst consequences would be prevented. He had been in the area when people had heart attacks and provided medical care until an ambulance arrived. He had been nearby when a car accident occurred and had coordinated the treatment of the people involved until the authorities came. He had performed an emergency tracheotomy on one of the victims and prevented another from being moved. He had told someone else how and where to apply pressure to halt the bleeding of another victim. Two lives were saved and paralysis avoided for the other. Some people knew of at least six different people that he had saved. Tonight, he stopped in front of a home with a couple sitting on the porch. He called out, "How are you feeling, Mr. Johns?" The old black man yelled back, "Much better, thank ya. Docs put inna pacemaker and a sum sort a spring. I guess the ol' ticker 'ell keep agoin' for some time yet. Can't use the microwave to make ma popcorn, tho." It always took John a moment to make sense of the old man's use of English and his heavy accent. He wondered if the spring Mr. Johns was talking about was a shunt. He answered, "Glad to hear that. Guess the wife is going to have to make the popcorn from now on!" "Ol woman can't cook wurt a damn!" The woman sitting next to him elbowed him in a friendly fashion in the side. She mouthed, "You ol fool. No greens for you!" "Sheet woman, thas what give me the heart tack!" he replied with a grin that showed more than one missing tooth. "No biskits and gravy for yer brakfast in the mornin'!" John was laughing at the couple. They would carry on that way all evening and neither one of them meant the threat or the insult. He remembered how worried she was when Mr. Johns had the heart attack last fall. "Be good ol' woman or I won't take the vigra!" he chuckled, "We all knows how much ya like my sexin' you!" John was about to interject a quick farewell when a piercing scream sounded from across the street. It wasn't the kind of scream made by kids at play or a woman scared or angry. This was a scream from a man in excruciating pain. John looked around and saw flames through the window of the house across the street. As he raced towards the house, he shouted, "Call 911!" Reaching the house, he leapt onto the porch clearing all three steps in a single bound. Not stopping, he kicked open the door; there was no time to find out if it was locked. He charged into the house. In the front room, a man's body lay on the floor in flames. It was clear that he was dead. There was a bottle of liquor on the floor next to him, from which pale blue flames were emerging. The source of the fire was centered on a chair where the man must have been seated. The flames were rapidly spreading and smoke was billowing out of the room. There was no way he could extinguish the fire. He heard a noise down the hall. He ran in the direction from which the noise came. Halfway down the hall, a small boy was standing in the doorway of a bedroom. His eyes were wide in shock and he shook in fear. He was frozen in indecision, unable to decide in what direction to run. John grabbed the boy and ran back the way he came. The smoke was so thick that it was difficult to see his way. The light on his walking stick came on and he thrust the lit end in front of him. He didn't remember turning on the light, but it helped him see through the smoke. The heat was unbearable. He held the child on his left side, placing his body between the flames and the child. Now that the child had been freed from his paralysis, he started whimpering in fear. John's lungs burned from inhaling smoke. He reached the front door and raced out nearly tripping his way down the stairs. He coughed as his lungs tried to force out the irritating smoke. He set the child down on the sidewalk and took several deep breaths. Cool clean air displaced the smoke. "My sister's in there!" John, voice rough and harsh from smoke, ordered, "You stay here until the police, firemen, or your mother comes!" "Yes, sir!" John ran back into the house. As he raced past the door into the living room, there was an explosion from within it. A can of air freshener exploded from the heat. He felt a sharp pain in his left leg. It stung with each step, but he continued into the back of the house. The smoke was so intense that he could hardly make out the way down the hall although he was holding the light of the walking stick in front of him. Fire blasted into the hallway and, as he ran through flames, it felt like his skin was blistering. Confused and unsure of the layout of the house, he realized he was lost. He moved away from the flames as much as he could thinking he would be moving to the back of the house. He heard a small sobbing noise from behind a closed door. He opened the door, entered the room, and closed it behind him as quickly as possible. The air was filled with smoke, but it was nowhere near as bad as had been in the hall. He looked around the room with tearing eyes and didn't see anyone. He was about to leave, when he thought to check in the closet. Opening the closet, he searched and still found nothing. Frustrated, he turned to leave believing that he had misinterpreted the source of the noise. As he reached the door, he heard sobbing behind him. He turned and still did not see anyone. He looked under the bed finding the little girl hiding in fear. He gently reached in and pulled her out as he said, "Don't worry little girl, I'm going to get you out of here!" Now that he had found the child, he realized that he had several options on getting out of the building. He could go out the back and was about to head that way, when it dawned on him that he could exit through the window. He tried to open it, but it had been painted shut over the years. He stepped back and broke out the glass with the brass tipped end of his walking stick. He ran the walking stick around the window frame to clear out as much glass as possible. Satisfied that he could exit without being cut to shreds by the glass he looked out the window. He saw that he had a considerable drop and couldn't lower the girl out the window. He was now faced with the task of trying to get out with the child in his arms. He threw the walking stick out the window and climbed onto the sill while holding the little girl. She looked up at him with wide eyes. John whispered to her, "I'm going hold you when I jump down. Don't worry, your brother is waiting for you out front." The light on his walking stick lit up the ground below him. He slid off the sill to the ground below, a drop of eight feet. A horrible pain ran through his back as he went down. A metal bracket that he had not noticed before had cut his back as he slid across it. Bending his knees to absorb the shock, he landed cleanly and ended in a kneeling position. He set the little girl down. When he tried to stand, he found that he didn't have enough strength in his legs. He reached out for his walking stick. It took several sweeps over the ground to locate it. With the stick in one hand and the child in the other, he leveraged his way to his feet. He staggered around the side of the house to the front while holding the girl's hand. He gave the hand of the little girl to the boy. His voice cracking from the abuse of the smoke on his throat, he ordered, "Watch your little sister." "Yes, sir!" John seated himself on the ground and lay back in exhaustion. Mrs. Johns from across the street arrived and hugged the kids. He heard the sirens in the distance and knew that everything would be okay. The world spun and then faded away as he lost consciousness. The world slowly came back into focus. An oxygen mask was over his face. He tried to speak, but his throat was too sore. He looked at the figure leaning over him and recognized Harry from the EMS. Harry saw that John was coming back and spoke, "Well, Hero. It looks like I'll be carting you off this time!" John tried to speak again, but his effort was interrupted by Harry, "Don't worry, the kids are alright. My partner checked them out. The police have talked to them and given them over to the neighbor lady across the street. She'll watch them until the mother gets back." John tried to get up and Harry pushed him down, "Not this time Hero. You have shrapnel in your leg, a bit of a burn, and a gash down your back that requires stitches. You're coming with me to the hospital." John wanted to fight it, but there just wasn't enough energy left in him. Harry and his partner lifted John onto the gurney and rolled him to the ambulance. It took them half a minute to load the gurney into the ambulance and fasten it down. Another minute later they were headed to the hospital. He lay in the gurney staring at the ceiling of the ambulance trying to mentally construct the route it was taking. He felt more than a little embarrassed at being in this position. Harry broke the silence, "Hero, you're not going to believe the reception you're going to get at the hospital." John wondered about Harry's comments. He was used to Harry calling him hero, although he always insisted on being called John. He decided to try again, but Harry interrupted him, "I know you want me to call you John. You aren't John to many folks; you are the hero. So even if you don't like it, that's what I will call you because that is what you are." The ambulance pulled to a stop and the back door opened. As they removed the gurney, John looked around and saw a huge crowd of people by the door. He pulled on Harry's sleeve and managed to croak out, "If there's been an accident, treat the others first. I can wait." Harry shouted out to the crowd, "The Hero says that if there's been an accident to treat the others first. Says he can wait." His announcement was greeted with laughter. John watched with confusion as several people elbowed each other in that knowing fashion people have when they are sharing an inside joke. He saw one man reach into his pocket and pull out a wad of bills. He took one out and handed it over to the guy next to him. The money was greeted with a smile. The gurney was rushed into the emergency room. He was followed by the crowd that had gathered at the door. When the gurney came to a rest, a doctor stepped forward, "So we meet at last John Carter." "What?" he croaked. He was confused by the fact that the doctor knew his name. The doctor bent to the task of examining the patient. A middle- aged nurse was removing his pants using scissors to cut them off his body. A male nurse was inserting something in his arm, but he couldn't see because of the people crowded around him. A younger and prettier nurse stepped up with a cloth and started wiping the grime from his face. She stated, "John Carter! You are a legend around here. I wondered when we would finally get a chance to meet you." "I don't understand." The doctor rolled him over onto his side. A nurse stepped forward cutting away the shirt. It took the doctor a minute to examine the back. Satisfied he laid him back down on the gurney. The doctor spoke up, "Okay, take Mr. Carter over to x-ray and get the operating room set up. The shrapnel's in there pretty deep and it's bleeding. The back looks bad, but it's not as bad as it looks, so we'll wait to suture it." Even as the doctor was speaking, others were lifting John off the ambulance gurney onto one that belonged to the hospital. In seconds, it was rolling down the hall. The only clothing on him was his underwear. He was partially covered in a blanket. It didn't cover his left leg. As they pulled into the x-ray room, the technician stated, "Welcome, John Carter. The film is loaded. Let me position you and you'll be out in three minutes." John was amazed at the efficiency of the hospital. Then he recognized the technician as the one who had gotten the money from the other man. He went to look at the man's badge for his name, but the guy was already moving his leg into the proper position for the x-ray. Someone else threw a lead-lined cover over this chest and genitals. Everyone left the room. The x-ray machine made a low hum. The technician came in with another plate, slid the old one out, and replaced it with the new plate. He disappeared as quickly as he had appeared. There was another low hum from the x-ray machine. The technician entered the room and shouted, "He's ready to go." A crowd swarmed into the room and he was just as quickly wheeled out. Another doctor appeared beside the gurney and started asking questions about the last time he ate or drank anything and details about allergies. John was croaking out his answers as fast as he could, but his throat was killing him. The doctor stepped away to be replaced by another nurse. John recognized her, "Betsy, what's going on here?" Betsy made a double take. She was amazed. He remembered her name although he had met her once and that was four months ago during a blood drive. "You remember me?" John smiled weakly, "Yes, you were nice to me and you do very important work with the blood drive." Betsy shook her head in amazement. This guy was cute. She knew he was modest and never talked about his heroic deeds. She put her mind back on business. "I've got a unit of your blood here in case you need it. We saved it for you." "I'm so glad that you're here. It's nice to see a friendly face you know." Betsy was moved emotionally, even as she was pushed out of the way by an administrator. The woman held up a stack of papers and said, "Mr. Carter, I need you to sign these so the doctor can operate." She patiently proceeded to explain each form. After each explanation, John signed the form in each place that she pointed out to him. As soon as they were done with the forms, the administrator thanked him and moved away. It was only at that time, John realized the forms had been fully filled out with his name, address, and occupation. He couldn't remember giving that information to them. The doctor that had talked to him earlier returned. He fiddled with something in the IV and then stated, "Count backwards from 100." John replied, "Huh?" He woke up feeling as if he had been run over by a truck. His body was sore, his eyes bleary, and his thoughts muddled. He tried to focus his eyes, but all he could make out were indistinct shapes. One of the blurs moved around and bent over him. He tried to focus, but without luck. He closed his eyes and worked on his breathing. His throat was still sore. After several minutes, he tried opening his eyes again. This time he was able to focus a little better. The moving shape returned. He took a minute to focus and saw that it was a male nurse. The nurse leaned over and smiled. He stated, "John Carter, I see you're awake. I didn't expect you to wake for another half an hour." John stared at the man for a minute. His eyes flicked down to the badge. His voice was still raspy, "Robert Fish, do I know you?" Robert laughed, "No, but I know all about you." "How?" "I've had thirty-two patients in here that wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for you. You've saved thirty-two patients in nine months. I know ambulance personnel that haven't done that well. You've saved almost one person a week. Every one of those patients talks about you. You're a legend around here." He croaked out, "No, I'm just lucky." "I heard that you would say that." The nurse reached over and picked up a glass of water. He held a straw to John's mouth and stated, "Sip a little bit. It'll help your throat." John took a little sip and his throat felt much better. He paused for a minute and then took another sip. He felt his energy returning. Robert shook his head, "Looks like you had a rather rough time." "Not too bad. At least this time I didn't die," he replied in a matter of a fact voice. He took another deep breath, "How long do I stay here?" Robert heard the part about not dying this time and mentally filed it away. The statement was made in such a matter of fact manner that he didn't doubt it was true. "You'll be in recovery for another hour or so. We want to make sure that you are recovering properly from the anesthetic." "Okay. Anyone else in here?" "Yes, we have another patient. He's going to be wheeled out of here soon." He glanced at the monitor and noted John's heart rate and blood pressure. His vital signs were good and very stable. John looked around and saw the other patient across the room from him. He was very pale and looked like he was still half-asleep. He hoped that he didn't look that bad. He lifted his arms and then his legs. Everything worked correctly, although his left leg hurt when he moved it. He tried to sit up, but there was a general pain through his back. He moved his head around working out some of the tension in it. Satisfied that everything was okay, he stated, "Not bad, not bad at all. A little pain in the leg and some general pain in the back. I should be as good as new in a couple of days. You guys do great work here." Robert had watched him flex in amazement. This guy should be looking like a half-dead, pale gray version of himself. Instead, his skin color was good, he moved with dexterity, and was taking an interest in his surroundings. This guy was trying to sit up and was talking as if nothing had happened. He stated, "I need to check on the other guy. I'll get right back to you." "No problem. Take your time," he motioned Robert to come closer and continued in a softer voice, "That guy isn't looking too good. You may want to watch him a little more closely." "Thanks, I think I will." Robert went over to the other patient and examined him. The patient was recovering nicely. He moved over to the desk and picked up the telephone. He chatted a minute with the anesthesiologist and then went back to the other patient. He kept glancing in John's direction. The doctor arrived and walked over to John, "Hello. I hear you're awake." John looked at the badge and caught the name, "I'm sorry that I didn't catch your name earlier, Dr. Melborn. I'm John Carter, but then I guess you know that. Things were rather hectic when I arrived. I must say this is a very efficiently run hospital. I don't think I was in here ten minutes before you guys were operating on me." The doctor smiled, "Well, you are a special patient." "There's nothing special about me." The doctor shook his head. Almost every other day, some story went around the hospital about a heroic action performed by this guy. He asked, "Do you know who I am?" "Sure, you're the anesthesiologist." "What day is today?" He glanced down at his wrist to check the time. His watch was gone. They had probably put it with his other stuff. The medallion, though, still weighed heavy on his chest. They had been unable to remove it. He answered, "Should be Thursday. Of course, I can't tell if it's after midnight, so it might be Friday. In fact, if I think it through it must be a little after midnight, so today is Friday." The doctor nodded. There were additional questions that he meant to ask, but after hearing John reason out the day, he was satisfied that John had recovered his cognitive skills. He asked, "Do you know how you came to be here?" "Yes, there was a house on fire and a couple of kids inside. The first one was easy to find and get out. The second one was hiding under her bed. Took a lot longer to find her." "So you ran into a burning building twice?" "Yes, of course. Anyone would do that, if they knew there were children trapped inside. I'm very sorry that I was too late to save the man. He was already dead when I entered the building the first time." The doctor shook his head. He was about to ask how he knew that, but changed his mind. He imagined the kind of sight that John had seen in the midst of that fire. He called over to the nurse, "Call down and tell them that John Carter is ready to be moved." John smiled, "I'm glad to know that. Will I be seeing you again?" "Probably not. Anesthesiologists don't get many opportunities to talk with their patients. The patients tend to fall asleep." John laughed at the joke. "I guess they do at that. You have a very important job to do. It's just a shame you don't get to know the patients better." The doctor looked at John in surprise, "Well, I do miss the opportunities sometimes. Now you take care of yourself and heal quickly." John smiled, "I usually heal quickly. It's been very nice meeting you. I hope that we have the opportunity to talk in a less sterile environment." "Never heard it called that. Perhaps we will. Good bye John Carter." The doctor turned and left the room. Before the door had a chance to shut behind him, another nurse entered the room. She was about fifty or so and a little overweight. Her eyes looked kindly, but they were also tinged with a sadness that came from seeing too much misery. He decided that she needed a little more happiness in her life. She walked over to John and stated, "I'm here to take you away!" John smiled. He took her hand and kissed it, "Take me away and do with me what you will. I'm all yours fair maiden." She laughed. It had been years since she had been fair and even more years since she had been a maiden. She turned to Robert, "Are you sure that he's not hallucinating?" John laughed, "No, I'm not hallucinating. I'm wounded and it's affected my sense of humor. All I can make are lame jokes." "Oh, no! A punster!" The nurse shook her head as she prepared the gurney for the trip. Her late husband used to make puns all the time. She had forgotten that over the past few years. "You really are sick!" He glanced at her badge, "Well, Ms. Smith, wait until we get moving and then I'll really get going!" She laughed. She seldom had burn patients that were able to laugh and joke. He was refreshing. She smiled really sweet, like a kindly old grandmother, and stated, "Remind me to pick up some surgical tape on the way out of here. I need something to hold those jokes inside you where they belong." "Yes, ma'am," he replied. As the bed rolled out of the room, he called back, "Hey Robert, she's gonna tape me up and do all kinds of kinky things to me! By the way, nice meeting you! Come visit me, but wait until she's done!" A hearty laughter followed him out into the hall. She chuckled, "John Carter, you really are a nasty little boy. I bet I have grandchildren older than you. What are you, eight or nine years old?" "Oh, I'm wounded," groaned John as he clutched his heart. Looking around, he asked, "By the way, where are you taking me?" "I'm taking you down to the burn unit." "I was burned seriously enough for there?" "Yes. You don't think you can walk through a burning building without proper protection and not get burned." "Oh, I didn't know I was that burned. No wonder I feel a little pain when I bend my leg. I thought it was from the shrapnel." "A little pain?" she asked. If he had tried to bend that leg, then he should have been screaming in pain. She wondered if there was nerve damage. She'd have to report this to the doctor. "Yeah, a little." They arrived in the burn unit and he was wheeled into a single room. She lined the gurney along the bed to facilitate the transfer from gurney to bed. She locked the wheels and lowered the guard on the side next to the bed. He looked around for a moment and then sighed, "Home sweet home. By the way, how long will I be in here?" She was about to push the attention button to get some help moving him into the bed, but John eased himself over. She stared at him for a minute, amazed at his mobility. Ms. Smith frowned, "I don't know. People heal at different rates." "Okay. I can deal with that." The nurse unlocked the wheels on the gurney and pulled it away from the bed. She slipped next to the bed and raised the guard on the bed to prevent him from falling out of it. She stated, "Let me move this out of our way." "No problem. You know, I'm sure you have other patients to check up on and I must admit that I'm a little tired. It's been a long day," replied John. He looked up, "I'm sure I'll be here for a day or so. I'll see you tomorrow night?" "Oh you'll see me sooner than that. I'm supposed to change your bandages in the morning." "Great, I'll see you then." The nurse left the room pushing the gurney in front of her. She knew that in the morning, he wouldn't think it was great that she was changing his bandage. He'd be hollering in pain. She knew he would loose that sense of humor then. She had heard of John Carter before. Everyone in the hospital had heard of him. She wondered if he would be the same after his experiences here. John slept very soundly. The bed reminded him of sleeping on the ground when hiking. It was likely that he was the only patient in the hospital that found the bed comfortable. Despite the late hour at which he went to sleep, he still woke up before dawn. He looked out the window and was disappointed to find that it faced the wrong direction to watch the sunrise. Ms. Smith entered the room quietly. She was pushing a tray that held bandages and salves for the burn. She was surprised to see that he was awake. He smiled at her, "Good morning. I thought you would never get here. I was beginning to think that you'd found a younger man and run off with him." "Why John Carter, you know you are the only one for me!" she retorted and then added, "Of course, there's that stable of young men I have locked in my basement at my home." John bent his left knee up and looked at Ms. Smith. "Do you need any help removing the bandage?" She looked at him in wonder. He should have been climbing the walls just attempting to bend his leg. She shook her head, "No that's okay. I'm a pro at this. Now, it will go a lot easier if you straighten your leg." John straightened his leg. The bandage ran from the middle of his thigh to the middle of his calf. He watched as the nurse went to it and peeled back enough to really be able to grab it. He expected her to rip it off in one smooth motion. It would lead to just a minute of sharp pain as the hair was pulled out, but it would be less than trying to remove the bandage slowly. He told her, "I'm ready any time you are." Ms. Smith yanked the bandage off. John jumped a little, but mostly in surprise. She stood there staring at him. He smiled, "That wasn't too bad at all. Now, let's look at the burn." The nurse looked down at the burn. It was still there, but a tremendous amount of healing had already occurred. The surgical incision that ran through part of the burn looked like it had been healing a week. She nodded, "It's healing nicely. Would you excuse me for a minute? I forgot to bring something." She left and returned a few minutes later. A doctor entered with her. He walked over to John and looked at the burn. John let him look for a minute. Reaching out a hand, he stated, "Hello, I'm John Carter." The doctor looked up at him and automatically shook hands with him. He answered, "I'm Dr. Hilbert. I treated your burn yesterday evening." "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't remember seeing you." "You were already in the operating room," he bent down and looked at the burn closer. He looked at the surgical incision and shook his head. He stood there a moment thinking about the healing progress. Finally, he said, "It looks to me like it is healing very well." "Great! I'm glad to hear that. I know that burns are probably the worst injury that a person can have. After all, the skin is the largest organ in the human body." "Yes, of course." "So can I get up and walk about today?" "Your other doctors will have to check you out first. I'll let them know that if they feel you are up to it, then the burn won't be keeping you in bed." The doctor examined the wound again to see how much scarring would result. There probably wouldn't be enough to require any skin graphs. The small area that had been a third degree burn looked like new skin was forming over it. That was unusual. "That is really good news," John replied. "I bet there are kids here that are starved for some attention. Is it alright if I go and read to them or something?" Ms. Smith turned away so that he couldn't see the tears forming in her eyes. This was a particularly painful subject to her. She hated the reactions that people had to the children. They would get their first glimpse and then a look of horror would spread across their face. It would take some time, but a few would get control over their expressions and try to act friendly. The kids knew better, they had seen the horror. The doctor stepped back for a moment as if doubting what he was hearing. He decided to break the news to John gently, "Some of the kids have very extensive burns and some of them are pretty disfigured." "They're still kids, aren't they?" asked John in puzzlement. "Yeah, they're still kids." After the doctor left the room, Ms. Smith came back to the bed and replaced the bandages. She was quiet and her expression suggested that she didn't want to talk. John respected her wish and just watched with interest in how she went about applying the bandages. When she finished with the bandages, she stated, "I'm going off duty now." "Okay, I'll see you tonight." A different doctor entered the room. This same doctor had greeted him at the door. John spoke up, "I didn't get a chance yesterday to learn your name, doctor." "I'm Dr. Capstone," replied the doctor. He added, "It was a pleasure to finally meet you. I've treated many patients that you've helped. You've kept them from getting hurt worse than they were. I really appreciated the tracheotomy that you performed. It was first class work and definitely saved his life." "Thanks, I just did what little I could. It was a pretty bad accident." Dr. Capstone cleared his throat, "Well, they tell me that your incision is healing well. Let me check your back." John sat up giving the doctor access to his back. The hospital gown didn't cover his back very well. The doctor removed the bandages and looked at the red line down John's back. The healing was phenomenal. At this rate, he would be able to take out the stitches in two days time. The doctor told the nurse to replace the bandages. As the doctor was about to leave, John spoke up, "Ah, Dr. Capstone. I have two quick questions. First, can we get rid of all the plumbing? Second, can I get up and walk around?" "The answer to both questions is yes. I'll make a note on your chart." ------- Chapter 9 John wandered the hall of the burn unit carrying two books. The books had been delivered to him by the owner of the local bookstore that he visited almost daily. The owner gave him the books free with the promise that he would donate the rest of the series to the burn ward when he was able to locate them. John was about to protest, but the owner told him that it was a good tax write-off. John thanked him for his charity. The day nurse, Nurse Betty, was at the other end of the hall and spotted him. She hurried to intercept him before he reached the children's ward. She was too late, but not late enough to see his reaction to the kids in the room. She was amazed to see that he took their appearance in stride, looking at them like normal kids. He burst out in a smile and stated, "Hi kids, I'm John Carter. Do you want to hear a story?" He was greeted by silence as children tried to hide themselves from his sight. He ignored their discomfort and sat down in the one large chair in the room. He held up the two books, "I have Tom Swift and Nancy Drew. Which one would you like to hear?" The kids slowly peeked at him. He was smiling and waiting for an answer. Nurse Betty entered the room. "Ah, Nurse Betty. Would you be so kind to introduce me to my audience?" Nurse Betty went through the room introducing every child in there. With each introduction, John repeated the name, stated that he was pleased to meet them, and then made some comment about something that was special about each child. Sarah was holding a teddy bear and he praised the gentleness of the bear. Her burn covered her head and back. She had only a few hairs on her head and her left ear was almost totally missing. Jennifer had a pretty, pink nightgown. He told her it was a pretty color and that it was just right for her eyes. She was burned by grease from a pan that she had pulled off the stove. The burn ran down her right arm, along her right side, and partially down her right leg. Tommy had spider man pajama's and John told him that he had always wanted a pair just like that. Tommy had tripped and fallen into a campfire. His burns were mainly on his stomach and hands. Karla was drawing. Her burns were on both legs as though she had been dipped into boiling oil. She had tried to give herself a bath using only hot water. John asked Karla to draw him while he was reading because he really wanted a picture of himself drawn by such a talented artist. The kids finally decided they would like to hear Nancy Drew. John sat down and started to read. He read with it with emotion. He made the characters come alive. Each character was spoken in a different voice. He spoke in a soft voice during the suspenseful parts and an excited voice during the exciting parts. The kids gathered around him and listened raptly. Dr. Hilbert entered the room and watched them for several minutes. He was there for his morning examination of the children, but decided to come back later. He didn't want to interrupt them. When he finished the book, the kids all cheered. He was smiling and laughing with them. He talked to each child by name. When they would call him Mister Carter, he would correct them and tell them to call him John. Dr. Hilbert returned and asked him to leave the room while he did his examination. John smiled, "Sure Dr. Hilbert! Goodbye kids, I'll be back this afternoon and maybe we can play a game." He had gone about ten steps down the hall when he heard a scream from the room. He raced back in to find Sarah in tears. Nurse Betty had just removed the bandage. John stepped up to Dr. Hilbert and tapped him on the shoulder, "Perhaps I can help." Dr. Hilbert snapped, "Please leave." "Please, I don't like to see people in pain. Allow me to help, at least while you are removing the bandages," John was not smiling now. He stared directly into the eyes of Dr. Hilbert as though daring him to suggest otherwise. Sarah, sobbing stated, "Please let him stay." Dr. Hilbert had never been so intimidated by anyone in his life. He wondered where this nice guy kept this side of himself. He backed up and then stated, "Okay." John knelt down next to Sarah and held her hand. Looking directly into her eyes, he started talking. His voice was low and calm. As he talked, she got a dreamy look on her face. He described hiking through the mountains and watching deer graze. He told about the time that he had spent a whole morning watching Mountain Goats climb up impossible cliffs. He turned to Dr. Hilbert. "Remove the bandages now." Nurse Betty pulled the second bandage off and there was no sound from Sarah. She was listening intently to the story that John was telling her. The rest of the bandages were removed with the same lack of response by Sarah. Dr. Hilbert performed his examination and then Nurse Betty put new bandages on Sarah. When she was done, Nurse Betty stared at John as though he were some kind of marvelous new creature. The other kids were examined in the same fashion. John would talk and their eyes would get dreamy. The bandages would be removed without any apparent pain. The doctor performed the examination and Nurse Betty would put on new bandages. When last examination was completed, Dr. Hilbert told John, "It's your turn. Let's go to your room." John smiled and waving to the kids, "Bye, I'll be back later. Okay?" His departure was accompanied by many happy yells of okay. He walked down the hall carrying his two books. Dr. Hilbert and Nurse Betty followed behind whispering to each other. Both were in a state of amazement at what they had just witnessed. When they reached the room, John jumped into bed and laid back. Lifting his robe out of the way, he offered, "Rip her off, Nurse Betty." "There's no need. I just wanted to talk to you alone," stated the doctor. He thought about what he had seen in the children's burn ward. As he walked towards the door, he stopped and turned. In a voice that conveyed deep emotion he said, "I had heard you were a hero. You know, I never believed in heroes until today." "Dr. Hilbert. You, Nurse Betty, Ms. Smith and the rest of the staff are the real heroes. Every day you go in there and help those kids. Me, I'm just a diversion for a day or two. You are an integral part of their lives and you are helping to make their life better. I wish I could do a fraction of what you accomplish every day," replied John. Dr. Hilbert left the room. Nurse Betty stood there with tears in her eyes. She patted him on the shoulder, "You are an amazing man, John Carter." John smiled, "I appreciate you saying that to me. It means a lot coming from you." Nurse Betty stood there for a minute thinking. She finally said, "I would appreciate it if you would stay in here for a while. It's almost time for your bath and I would hate to have to hunt all over for you." "Sure thing," replied John. He added, "I guess you'll be using the wire brush?" "I'll use the big wire bristles, they dig in better." Nurse Betty laughed and left the room. When she stepped out of his room, she looked around the burn ward. Somehow, it had taken a new meaning for her. She had never felt heroic or special for what she did here. Yes, there were times when she felt good about what she did. John's words had changed something inside her. When she noticed Dr. Hilbert leaning against the wall wiping his eyes with his handkerchief, she knew that he had been changed in that same way. News of John's morning had already spread through the hospital like wildfire. The only visitors that these children received other than their own parents were staff members and only a few of them could do it for long. The sight of a disfigured child was often too heart-rending to take for long. That John had not reacted in any negative fashion to the children was viewed as further proof of his hero status. When Nurse Betty showed up in the hospital cafeteria, she was immediately surrounded by others that wanted to know what John Carter was like. The gathering grew silent as Nurse Betty repeated what she had seen. She told them about his delight in meeting the kids. She had no trouble describing how much they liked him; she was convinced that Karla was madly in love with him. She told them about how he read the story to them. She remarked that she hadn't had a single call from the kids the entire morning. She described how she was able to remove the bandages without hurting the children. Her eyes were filled with tears by the time that she finished the story. Knowing that she had everyone's attention, she added, "I'm looking for someone special to give him a sponge bath." A number of nurses and even a few of the women doctors glanced knowingly around the room. Her statement would reach the right ears. She added, "Well, I better get back to my station." John relaxed in his bed thinking about what he could do to help the children after he was gone. Sarah's scream had really upset him. He decided he was going to have to train someone how to divert attention away from the pain. It couldn't be a person of authority as the authority itself prevented the technique from working. That left out the nurses and doctors. Yet, who else would be here all the time so that they would be available when needed? That was real question. His thoughts were interrupted by the cleaning lady coming into the room to empty the trash. He smiled, "Hello, I'm John Carter. And who might you be?" The woman turned and looked at him with a funny expression. Most new patients hardly noticed her. They were usually so caught up in their pain, that the world would pass them by for weeks before they became aware of the surroundings. Those that did usually complained about how they were feeling. Only a few would actually engage her in conversation. Usually, it took a long time before the patients here really saw her. She answered in a strong accent, "I'm the trash lady." "Hmmm, that won't do. I can't go around calling you the trash lady," answered John. He added, "Maybe I should call you Trinidad, since that's where you're from. I'd rather call you by your real name though." She laughed, "I'm Mary, nice to meet you John Carter. You could tell from one sentence that I was from Trinidad?" "Nice to meet you Mary. You have a very distinctive accent. I've heard that people from Trinidad are good storytellers. Is that true?" "I don't know if it's true or not, but I can spin a tale that will have you laughing or crying in ten minutes." "Tell me a story about Trinidad." Mary shrugged. The staff didn't complain when she spent a little extra time with the burn patients. She told a story about growing up in Trinidad. She told about the times when the no-see-em's would infest the beaches. She described how tourists would show up to find an empty white beach and go down to it thinking they were going to have all the privacy they could want. Then they would discover that they were sharing the beach with thousands of biting insects. John enjoyed the story tremendously. He could visualize the beaches easily. He asked, "You go into all of the rooms up here?" "Every room has a trash can. So yes, I go in them all," answered Mary, "Why?" "Doesn't the appearance of the patients bother you?" "Not at all," replied Mary in her charming accent. She added, "You have to learn to look at them the right way. You don't look at the outside; you look in them. You don't get evil people here. The fire, she burn the evilness out of them." "So you like the patients here?" "Sure, most don't see me for a long time though. Then one day they notice the trash lady and we talk." "Mary, you are exactly what I was looking for!" John's excitement was quite noticeable. Mary held up her left hand, "See the ring. I'm married and I'm a good Catholic girl." John laughed, "As tempting as you are, that is not what I meant. I need a storyteller with a friendly face, nice voice, and great heart. That is you, Mary." Mary's face wrinkled in disbelief. She asked, "Why do you need that?" John knew he had her hooked, "You've heard them scream when they take off the bandages?" "Oh it breaks my heart. I have to work a different ward when they do that." John knew he had the right person, "How would you like to help end those screams?" John gestured her closer and then stated, "Let me demonstrate something to you. Then I will teach you how to do it. Once you learn, you will help so many people." She reluctantly agreed. She had heard of John Carter so she didn't quite fear what he was going to do. John sat up on the bed so that he was facing her. He took her right hand in his left hand. He stared into her eyes and started telling a story. As he wove the story, she got a dreamy look on her face. He stopped talking and she looked at him. She asked, "You're not a bad storyteller yourself, but what did you want to demonstrate?" John smiled and said, "Look at your right hand." Mary screamed when she looked down and saw that needle sticking through her hand. She reached down and pulled it out. Glaring at him, "Why did you do that?" John smiled and folded his hands on his lap. He waited for the glare to diminish a little. When she took a deep breath and looked like she was going to yell at him, he stated, "Did you feel it going in?" Mary stepped back. She turned her head to one side and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. She answered, "No, I didn't." "That's what I wanted to demonstrate. That I could put a needle through your hand and you wouldn't feel it. I can teach you to do the same thing to me. When you can do that for me, then you can do that for people when they get their bandages removed." Mary sat down in the only chair in the room. She shook her head, "You are a tricky one. You can teach me to do that?" "Yes. I know I can." "Then do it. I will enjoy sticking you with the little needle." John laughed and pulled a fresh package containing a needle from the drawer next to the bed. He opened the package and handed her the needle. He then explained the process to her. He told her the signs that indicated a person was in the right frame of mind. He told her how to incorporate into the story some little element of pain in the hand that she was holding and to simultaneously pinch the hand. He then told her to try it on him. The first time through, he felt the needle go into his hand. He stopped her and told her what she had done wrong. They tried it again. He felt the needle again. He stopped her and pointed out different mistakes. After about the fifth time, he could tell that she was getting upset at hurting him so much. He talked her into trying it one more time and that, this time, she was to think about how she was going to take the pain away from him. She wasn't to rush or hurry in any way. This time Mary told her story and incorporated more details. Little things that made the story live. She took her time and kept her voice calm and steady. She noticed the changes in John's face, yet didn't break eye contact. She went through the whole process exactly as John had told her. She inserted the needle and then stopped talking. John looked down and smiled. She had done it. He looked up at her to see her smiling. He smiled, "Now, do it again and take the needle out." She went through the process again. The needle was removed without him being aware of it. When she stopped telling her story, he quipped, "You need to do it again. This time, you insert the needle, wait a minute, and then remove the needle." Mary looked at his hand. It looked like a pincushion. She had lost track of how many times she had stuck him with the needle. She went through the process again. This time, she stuck him and pulled out the needle. Still telling the story, she stuck him again and pulled out the needle. She stopped talking. John smiled and stated, "That was very good. Now we need to do it again. Only do it twice." Mary smirked, "Sorry, I got carried away last time and did it twice. I knew you were going to ask me to do that anyway." "Mary, I'm shocked. You've only known me an hour and you know me too well." Mary nodded, "I picked up on that pretty quick." John answered, "That's great. I'll talk to Dr. Hilbert and we'll find a patient for you to try it on." Mary laughed, "Oh, I doubt that will ever happen. You're a good man, John Carter, but you don't know doctors." John laughed, "Oh, I've put more than one doctor in his place. I've even kissed one on the lips when he was being a bastard!" "You're a crazy man!" "Don't worry, I'll talk to the doctor. You probably need to get on your rounds." "I'll be seeing you tomorrow, John Carter." He watched Mary leave the room. He looked at his hand and wiped it down with alcohol. He didn't want it to become infected. He had to put a bandage on the palm and the back of the hand. He shook his head, he had been afraid that she was never going to get the knack down. He had just laid back down on the bed when the door to the room opened. He looked over and saw Betsy enter the room. She was wearing a standard nurses outfit, white pants, a white top, and comfortable white shoes. With her sandy brown hair cut short, green eyes, and cute nose she was very attractive. He greeted her with genuine joy, "Hello Betsy. I've been hoping that you'd come by to visit me." Betsy smiled, "I'm afraid this isn't a friendly visit." John faked a frown, "You mean you came here to hit me and beat me? I'm so disappointed." Betsy shook her head, "No, it's nothing like that. You see, the other nurses are busy so I've been called in to give you a sponge bath." John looked around nervously. It wasn't that he minded getting a sponge bath, but Betsy was really cute and he had entertained the idea of dating her. He stated, "I camp a lot and know how to give myself a sponge bath. No need to waste your time." Betsy smiled at his nervousness. He really was cute. She cut off his objections, "Hospital regulations." He tried to find some other way to get out of the sponge bath, but couldn't. Reluctantly he agreed, "Okay." Betsy went into the bathroom and filled a small tub with water. She came out and set the tub on the table next to the bed. Smiling she told him, "You need to remove the bathrobe. It's rather hard to wash you with you all covered up." John stood and removed the bathrobe. He faced her because the hospital gown was wide open in the back. He lay down and watched as Betsy went about laying out the sponge and towel. Stepping back from her work Betsy looked around, "I'm all ready to start except for one little thing." She started to remove the nurse over-shirt. John watched her a little confused. When she slipped it off, she laid it on the chair. Then she started to unbutton her shirt. She did it slowly taking her time with each button. John's body started to react to the show. John nervously cleared his throat, "Ah, what are you doing?" Betsy smiled and unbuttoned the last button. She removed her shirt revealing a lacy blue bra. She answered his question, "Oh, don't worry. I always get so wet when I give a sponge bath. Sometimes I take my clothes off so that they don't get wet." John averted his eyes. It was too late to prevent an erection though. Even looking the other way, just knowing that an attractive woman was stripping was enough to excite him. The hospital gown tented obscenely. Betsy giggled at his discomfort. "Hey, relax. It's just a sponge bath." She bent down and removed her shoes and socks. John kept glancing in her direction. The way she was positioned treated him to a nice view of her breasts. She stood quickly and caught him looking at her. He quickly turned away. She took the opportunity to examine the tent in the gown. Her eyebrows raised at the size. She licked her lips. The sound of her zipper being lowered caused him to glance in her direction. She lowered the pants revealing French-cut panties that matched the lacy bra. She turned slightly away from him and removed the pants. Her position gave him a fine view of her ass. The panties displayed her assets perfectly. John's cock twitched at the sight. Standing, she approached the bed. She stated, "Sit up, please." John sat up. She reached behind him and untied the strings off his gown. With one deft move, she pulled the gown off him and tossed it aside. He blushed as his erection was revealed to her view. It dawned on him that this wasn't a normal sponge bath and he wanted to slap his forehead at his stupidity. With a giggle she stated, "Oh my. You must be very uncomfortable." She reached over and grabbed a wash cloth. She dipped it in the tub and then wrung it out. With a very professional demeanor, she turned back to him and wiped his cock with the cloth. The warm water surprised him since he was expecting it to be cold. She looked at his cock and stated, "Oh my. That didn't help at all. It looks like I have to take more drastic measures." She bent over slipping his cock into her mouth. John groaned at the wonderful sensation in his cock as her lips closed around the head. Her tongue quickly flicked around the head. It didn't take long for John to start groaning. He uttered, "I'm going to come." He expected her to finish him off by hand, but she continued to suck. She took him even deeper. She deep throated him and he exploded. Rather than stopping immediately, she continued to suck his cum from his cock. Soon his cock became too sensitive and noting that he was now reacting with discomfort, she stopped. She stepped back as his cock deflated, "Now, that's much better." John just said, "Wow, that was amazing." Betsy smiled and shook her head. He had no idea what she had in mind. She started to wash the rest of his body in a fashion that was closer to how a nurse would normally do the task. She started at his feet and worked her way up his body. About halfway through, she stepped back and stated, "Darn, my bra is wet. Oh well, I guess I'll have to take it off too." She stripped out of her bra and John openly admired her body. She was lithe and small breasted, but everything was firm. She leaned across his body to wash the far arm. The motion put her breast right in front of his mouth. He took a chance and kissed it. She only pressed her breast into him harder. He got the hint and started to suck on it. His other hand started to caress her body. After a couple of minutes, she stood up. John tried to follow her up. She stepped back and stated, "Oh my. My panties are wet. I have to take them off too." She turned away from him and slid the panties down her legs. John got a very good view of her cunt. His cock was hard as a rock. Betsy noticed his arousal and stated, "That nasty little organ just won't give up. I guess even more drastic measures are required!" Betsy climbed up on the bed and straddled him. She was careful not to touch any of his wounds or put pressure on his back. She slowly lowered herself on his cock. Her cunt was hot and wet. She started washing his chest in an up and down movement. This resulted in a rocking motion on his cock that was extremely satisfying to both. John started thrusting up into her. The sponge bath took a long time to finish, but by the time it was done, both of them had come. As Betsy climbed off him, she gave his cock one last wipe with the wash cloth. She leaned over and kissed him on the lips. "Thank you, John. I've wanted this for a long time." "Thank you, Betsy. You are a wonderful young lady. I hope I can see you again in the future. Could I take you out on a date when I get out of here?" "I'd love that." Betsy quickly dressed and exited the room taking the cart with her. John watched her leave in surprise. He was hoping to find out how to contact her, but she left before he had a chance to say good bye. Nurse Betty entered the room shortly after John had finished dressing in the new gown he found on the tray next to the bed. She smiled at him, "Did Betsy do a thorough job or should I ask another nurse to come in?" John wondered how much Nurse Betty knew about his experience. He answered, "Oh, I would love to have her wash me every day." Nurse Betty smiled, "Oh, that's not possible." "Well, I'm sure you'll do a good job too. If you're too busy I can manage on my own." Nurse Betty laughed, "Don't worry, there are another dozen volunteers on the list. Betsy was just so insistent that I bumped her up on the list." John frowned, "I don't get it." "You will." John decided to drop the subject. He asked, "Can I see the doctor before he makes his rounds?" Nurse Betty nodded, "Oh, he said he was coming here before he was going to start. I think he wanted to know if you could go on his rounds with him. We were both pretty amazed by what you did with the kids." John smiled, "Great. Could I also ask if you could have the cleaning lady, Mary, stop in here at the same time?" Nurse Betty frowned, "Mary always works somewhere else when the doctor makes his rounds." "Don't worry, I'm sure if you ask her, she'll come," replied John. He added, "She sure is a nice lady. Do you talk with her much?" "Oh yes, she probably does the least work of all the cleaning ladies here, but the patients love her. Most of the staff won't come up here, so they don't ask her to work harder." "Great," replied John. He was quiet for a moment and then asked, "Was there something that you needed?" Nurse Betty slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand, "Well, I was wondering if you could read to the kids right after lunch. There are some people here that want to visit you and I told them that you would be available about 3:00. Would that be alright?" "Who on earth would want to visit me? I told my mom and the old lady that I rent a room from that I was here. I told them not to come down here because I know they are all busy. I don't know anyone else." "Well, there are about twenty people that have called. I've scheduled each one for about five minutes. They all work here at the hospital, so we've bent the visiting hour rules for them." "They're all staff? Well, I'm happy to meet the staff. You guys are terrific," John agreed to meet them, not really understanding why the staff would want to meet him. He was just one patient among many. Nurse Betty went to the door and opened it. She told him, "Lunch will be served in about ten minutes. When you are done, come down to the kids room. I'll let them know you are coming." The nutritionist entered the room with a tray. There was a steak, salad, and potatoes with a glass of milk. He was about to make a joke about hospital food when looked at the contents. He whistled, "I should eat here more often. To tell the truth, I was expecting a bologna sandwich." She laughed, "Hero's get the steak. We give the bologna sandwich to the villains." "Well, thank you very much. You don't know how much this means to me. I usually only get to eat a good cut of meat once a week. This looks great." "I heard you liked a good piece of meat occasionally. So John Carter, what I can make for dinner tonight?" John had no idea where she could have heard that he liked meat. He decided he didn't want to know, "Gosh, I have no idea. Just give me what you make the most for the rest of the patients." The nutritionist thought about it for a minute and then suggested, "How about stuffed pasta shells with a light tomato sauce and a nice salad on the side? Of course, you'll want garlic bread. I'll select an appropriate desert later." John smiled, "That sounds perfect. By the way, may I know your name?" "Sure, I'm June Anderson." "I'm pleased to meet you June Anderson." She smiled and inched towards the door, "Well, I better let you eat. I just wanted to thank you for helping my grandmother." John wasn't sure about whom she was talking. He asked, "What did I do?" "You suggested that a neighbor go in and check on her because she was always on the porch at that time of day. The neighbor went in and found that she had fallen and broken her hip. She had been on the floor for two hours and might have died if the neighbor hadn't checked." There wasn't enough detail in the description for him to identify the woman. He often told neighbors to check on each other and more often then not there had been a problem. "Oh, I'm glad the neighbor went over." She smiled, "You don't know who my grandmother is, do you?" He frowned, "I'm not sure. I ask lots of neighbors to check on each other." She nodded, "I know, we've had a lot of them in here telling the same story. I just wanted to thank you. I'll be bringing your dinner. We'll talk some more then." She left the room. John eyed the steak hungrily. He hadn't realized how hungry he was. It didn't take him too long to finish his lunch. He sat back for a moment enjoying the quiet and solitude. This much attention was at times hard to take. Sighing, he picked up the Tom Swift book and headed to the kids room. When he entered, the room was buzzing with excitement. Jennifer was bursting with happiness, "John, they delivered a whole bunch of books just before lunch. Look, there's Nancy Drew, Tom Swift, Curious George, and even coloring books." "Wow, that's great. I guess we're going to have to get a book case to put them all in," replied John as he eyed the five boxes of books. The owner of the bookstore must have been busy this morning. He added, "Who's gonna help me put the bookcase together?" All of the kids raised their hands and shouted, "Me." John nodded wisely and stated, "Well, there is enough work to keep all of us busy. How about I read the story now and order the bookcase later. We can put it together tomorrow, okay?" The kids gathered around and listened as he read the Tom Swift story. Jennifer and Tommy absolutely loved the story. John realized that both of them actually enjoyed the engineering component of the story the most. The adventure was just icing on the cake. Karla was busy working on her drawing. Sarah enjoyed the story for the adventure that it presented, but she had definitely enjoyed the Nancy Drew stories more. Nurse Betty had stopped by to check on his progress. When she saw that he was nearly done, she waited for the conclusion. As soon as he ended, she stated, "Okay kids. You know what time it is?" Her announcement was not greeted with enthusiasm. Sullenly, Tommy answered, "It's nap time." Whining like a little child, John asked, "Nurse Betty, do I have to?" Nurse Betty smiled. She recognized what he was doing. In a very stern voice she answered, "Yes, John Carter. You have to take a nap now! No exceptions!" John nodded and answered sullenly, "Yes, Nurse Betty." He stood up to leave and then noticed Karla looking at him. He smiled and stepped over to her. He asked, "Did you finish the drawing of me? I want to hang it over my bed so that I can look at it while I fall asleep." Karla beamed and then faltered. She was so afraid that he wouldn't like it. She slowly handed over the best drawing of him that she had made. In a scared, timid voice she stated, "Here it is." John took it and looked at it. It was a nice picture, particularly for someone her age. The subject could have been any bearded man. He smiled, "This is outstanding, but you forgot something." Karla paled, "What did I forget?" "You forgot to sign it. I have to keep it so that when you get famous I'll be able to say that I own a genuine Karla picture." Karla burst out in a grin and quickly signed her name. She handed it back to him and said, "I'll make another one for you if you want me to." John answered, "Do you know what I would really like?" "What?" "I would love a picture of all you kids. Of course, that would be pretty tough because you'd have to include yourself in it. Can you do it?" Karla nodded excitedly, "Yes I can. I'm sure I can." "Great," he replied. He glanced at Nurse Betty and then stated in a stage whisper, "I better get to bed before you know who gets mad at me! Maybe you guys should do the same." John left the room as the kids scrambled into their respective rooms. He walked down the hall enjoying the chance to move around tremendously. He wondered if they would get upset if he went for a walk around the hospital. He entered his room and sat in the chair. He placed the drawing on the table next to the bed. He called a furniture store to order a bookcase. He explained what he required and then requested that it be delivered to the burn unit in the morning. When the salesperson requested payment information, he realized that he didn't have a credit card with him. He asked if he could give the credit card number to them in the morning when he was able to get his wallet. The salesperson put him on hold telling him that he was going to have to talk to the owner. The telephone was picked up by the owner of the store. John introduced himself and explained what he needed. The owner listened carefully and then stated that he didn't have to worry. They would donate the bookcase to the burn ward and that he would personally drop it off on his way home from work. He even said that he would assemble it, but John told him that he had plenty of young patients here who wanted to take part in its assembly. The owner understood. Before hanging up, John thanked him for his generosity. After lots of thanks back and forth, the call finally ended. Glancing at the clock, John saw that he would have about fifteen minutes before the visitors arrived. He leaned back and closed his eyes. In less than a minute, he was sleeping soundly. When the first visitor arrived, Nurse Betty entered the room and saw that John was asleep. She got out a blanket and covered him. She knew he would complain about not being awakened to meet his visitors, but the needs of his body came first. She looked down at the man as he slept. It was a peaceful sleep, which was rare in this ward. Most patients had nightmares about their experiences. Exiting the room, she told the people waiting that John had fallen asleep. Apologizing for bringing them up here needlessly, she agreed to schedule people at a different time. She knew this was important to them, but she explained that he had surgery less than eighteen hours ago. ------- Chapter 10 John woke up at 4:00 when Dr. Hilbert, Nurse Betty, and Mary entered the room. His back hurt from sleeping in a chair. John glanced at the clock and saw what time it was. He realized that he had missed all of the hospital staff that had come to visit him. He shook his head, "Nurse Betty, you should have woken me. All those people went out of their way to come up here and you let me sleep through it." Dr. Hilbert answered, "You might be a hero, but you're not a superhero. Remember that. When you are tired, get some sleep. Your body needs sleep to heal." "Yes sir." He recognized the validity of the advice. In a way, he was actually pleased that he hadn't had to deal with visitors. This hero worship thing was getting very old. He didn't feel like a hero, although he had no idea what a hero felt like. He felt bad that he had let down people that helped so many patients. "Now lets get those bandages off so that I can see how you're doing." Nurse Betty came over and removed the bandage. Mary stared open mouthed at how calmly he took the removal of the bandages. Dr. Hilbert stepped up and examined the burns. The healing rate on this guy was phenomenal. Nurse Betty was about to replace the dressing, but Dr. Hilbert stopped her. "Dr. Capstone will be here in a minute." While they were waiting, John explained that he would like Mary to assist him in working with the patients. Dr. Hilbert was a little skeptical, but decided that if John requested it then there might be a good reason. It was then agreed that Mary would go on the rounds with him. Mary was extremely surprised at the ready agreement. Dr. Capstone arrived and greeted them, "Hello John, how are you doing?" "Hello Dr. Capstone, that's for you to decide." He bent down and looked at the leg giving it a cursory examination. He immediately stood up in surprise. He bent down and looked at the leg again with much greater care. Dr. Hilbert was smiling at the expression on his face. Dr. Capstone stood and looked at Dr. Hilbert, "Doctor, I forgot my epidermal probe. Could I borrow yours?" Dr. Hilbert understood that this was a request for a private conference. He answered, "Sure, come with me and I'll get it for you." The two doctors left the room. John asked Nurse Betty, "Epidermal probe? You have to be kidding! They could have talked in front of me." Nurse Betty shrugged her shoulders. She decided that no answer was better than making something up. This guy was scary at times with his insights into people and his total lack of self-interest. She suggested, "You never know what they talk about." The doctors returned to the room. Dr. Capstone asked, "John, could you sit up so I can see your back?" John sat up and the bandages were removed. Dr. Capstone examined the back very carefully. Satisfied, he said, "Nurse, you can bandage his back and the surgical wound. We agree that the burn should be exposed to air now." Nurse Betty nodded her head and got to work. John asked, "So where is this famous epidermal probe?" Both doctors looked a little embarrassed. Finally, Dr. Capstone stated, "Well, we were trying to decide what to do with you." John smiled, "So is it a firing squad or death by hanging?" "Nothing that drastic. We were considering walking the plank or sacrificing you to the volcano." "I'm not a virgin so I guess it's the plank for me. Sorry guys." "Seriously though, if you continue to heal at this rate, we won't need to keep you in here more than two days. We'll take out your stitches tomorrow afternoon and bandage your wounds. We don't want you to leave just in case something happens." "Sounds good to me, Dr. Capstone," John turned and winked at Nurse Betty, "Does that mean I'm getting a dozen sponge baths over the next two days?" Nurse Betty had the grace to blush. The doctors looked at each other knowingly. Finally, Dr. Hilbert responded, "Oh, I think you can handle three a day. You're young and resilient." John went on the rounds with the doctor, Nurse Betty, and Mary. Mary had learned how to distract people from their pain very well. John watched her work and let Nurse Betty know when it was time to remove the bandage. With practice, Mary's technique became better. A very attractive black woman sat in the chair. Her posture was impeccable. She sat straight up in the chair, shoulders back and chest out. Her legs were crossed at the ankles. Her hands rested on her lap. She was conservatively dressed in a black dress that came down to the middle of her shins. It was plain, but clearly expensive. One thing that gave away her sadness; her eyes were red and puffy from crying. A knowledgeable observer would recognize her as dressed in mourning. Ms. Smith, having learned the identity of the lady, had warned her not to hug him. She explained that he had stitches along his back and a hug could rip them. The woman didn't know how to act and sat there wondering what to do. She owed this man so much and had no idea how to repay him. She was lost in thought when he entered the room. "Hello, I'm John Carter. Who might you be?" asked the man as he extended his hand. The lady looked up in surprise. The man looked just like her son had described him. She had not believed her son. She couldn't believe that some white man would risk his life trying to save her children. She answered, "I'm Virginia Hill." "Oh, that's a nice old fashioned kind of name. You don't meet many Virginia's any more. It's a shame; I'm rather partial to that name myself." She smiled, "I was named after my grandmother. She was named after her grandmother. That woman was named after her owner." Her statement might have intimidated some, but John followed up with a question, "What did she do for her owner?" "She was freed before they put her to work. I'm sure you've heard of the Civil War," she answered. There was a little tension in her voice. "Ah, she was most fortunate. Of course, the times after the Civil War were quite hard for most blacks. Their standard of living often went down. They had nothing and usually could only find work that paid less than it cost to feed their family for the day. A lot of them moved west to try and start a new life in the wilderness where color didn't matter. Most people don't know that the majority of cowboys were black. It wasn't John Wayne that rode herd on the cattle, it was Samuel Blackman." "You know a lot about black history," she stated. "Not many whites know that kind of stuff." "Well, I talk to a lot of the blacks in the neighborhoods around where I live. I listen to their histories. Lots to learn from people when you give them a chance to tell their story and you take the time to listen. That's why I asked the question about your great- great-grandmother. It was another chance to learn." "Oh," replied Virginia. She had not come here with the intention of discussing her family history. Her family had a rather checkered past. Her mother had been tough on her while growing up. Her mother always stressed education and if Virginia made less than an A in a subject, she would get beaten. Her mother always told her that an education was important. It always meant more money. Even an educated whore made more money than an ignorant whore did. "Do you have a picture of her?" "No, I used to have one, but it burned in the fire last night," she replied. The question reminded her of why she was here. John nodded as he drew the correct conclusion. He asked, "It wouldn't happen to be the one that I was at last night?" "Yes, sir. It was," her voice was suddenly respectful. "Could you tell me the names of your wonderful children?" "Ryhem and Shawana." "Well, Ryhem was very polite, brave and obedient. You must be really proud of him." She laughed, "Are you talking about my boy?" "Yes, ma'am. When I set him down and told him to stay there until a proper authority came he told me, 'yes sir', and he stayed right there. He also told me about his sister still being in the house. He didn't panic or anything." She laughed, "Do you know how he described what happened?" "No. What did he say?" "He said that he was standing there staring at the fire and didn't know what to do. Then a wizard walked through the flames and carried him out of the fire. He knew you were a wizard because you had a long beard, long hair, and carried a magic staff. He was afraid that he was going to get burnt, but you used magic to keep him safe." John laughed, "Me a wizard? Wow, that's great." "Shawana said that a skinny Santa Clause rescued her." "That's even better. No wonder they both cooperated so well. I wouldn't argue with a wizard or Santa Clause," suggested John. He thought about the last person in the house. He added, "I'm very sorry for your loss." "He was a drunk. He caused the fire that almost killed my babies. I loved him, but I'm mad as hell at him." "It's hard to carry such mixed emotions around with you." John didn't really know what to say. He chose the course of action that seemed best. He suggested, "Would you mind standing up?" She hesitated and then stood. John stepped close to her and put his arms around her. He held her close. Her head rested on his shoulder. She gently wrapped her arms around him and started crying. It was as if a dam had burst. Once she started, she couldn't stop. She had lost her lover, her house, and her past all in one night. John held her and swayed slightly. The slight rocking motion calmed her down. It took a while, but she finally collected herself. She stepped back and sat down. John handed her the box of tissues from the table. She blew her nose, wiped her eyes, and tried to collect herself. Her makeup had run. She sniffed, "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to break down like that." "No problem," replied John. He asked, "Are you feeling better?" She stopped and thought about it for a minute and answered, "Yes, I do. I really do feel better. Thank you." John nodded and suggested, "Why don't you use my bathroom and wash your face. I'm sure that you'll feel much better then." Virginia smiled hesitantly and headed towards the bathroom. While she did her feminine magic of transforming her appearance, John thought about what she had experienced in the last day. He understood her need to be held. She returned looking and feeling much better. She asked, "What can I do to thank you?" He thought about it a moment and then stated, "There is something that you can do for me. It is rather personal, though." Her eyes flicked to his groin. Her estimation of this nice guy went down a bit. In her mind, he became just another lowly man driven by his sexual urges. In a slightly flat tone of voice she answered, "Okay, I guess." John appeared not to notice her appearance her glance and lack of enthusiasm. He sat down on the edge of his bed and motioned to her to have a seat in the chair. He stated, "Quite simply, I would like to know more about you." She frowned, as that was not the request she thought he was going to make. She sat down. Not knowing where to start, she asked, "What would you like to know?" "What do you do for a living?" She frowned again. She hated to admit this, "I'm an exotic dancer." John smiled, "An artist in a very underrated art form. It is such a shame, too. It could be one of the most significant art forms and yet it isn't. It should be respected like ballet. Society tends to frown upon it and the people that engage in it. Even the dancers that engage in it look down on it. Of course, polite society is always embarrassed by the most basic aspects of life. Are you good at it?" "Huh?" she was confused. "Are you good at it?" "Do you understand what I do?" she asked. "I think so. Why do you ask?" "I give lap dances to horny men," she replied with a hardness in her voice that hadn't been there before. She knew that she was making herself look like a whore. She continued, "I'm basically naked and all they care about are my tits and ass. I work at the best club in town." "You still haven't answered my question. Are you good at it?" "It is easy enough work. I make a lot of money, so I guess so." "Hmmm, I would tend to believe otherwise. You are probably a little above average, but not good." Virginia sat back with her arms held tight to her chest and crossed. She really wondered what this guy was getting at. She asked, "Why do you say that?" John shrugged and then replied, "Well, most of the time when something comes easily to a person, they don't have the discipline to become good at it. They become good enough to get by." She replied, "It is very hard work. I have to exercise, watch my weight, learn new things, and practice." John nodded, "Do you put as much work into it as a professional ballerina?" Virginia shook her head, "No." "Can you make a guy's fantasy come true while you are dancing for him? Can you make him forget where he is? Can you turn him on with just a touch?" "You can't do those kinds of things in a lap dance." "Sure you can," replied John. He stood up and moved over to her. He slowly reached out with his hand and softly brushed her lip. He ran his hand down to her chin and then to the back of the neck along her hairline. She leaned into his hand with her eyes closed. John stopped his action and sat back on the bed, "You see. With a simple touch you can transform someone away from the here and now." Virginia sat there staring at John. He had transported her somewhere far from the hospital with just a simple touch. She asked, "How did you do that?" John answered, "When was the last time that someone touched you like that?" "Never." "How long have you wanted someone to touch you like that?" "Longer than I care to admit." "I was able to give you something that you've always wanted and never had. You can do that with your dance just as easily. If you learn how and master it, then you'll be a good erotic dancer, perhaps even great." "You talk as if being an exotic dancer is a good thing." John lay back in the bed. He was beginning to tire. He stated, "Do you know the difference between a pornographic picture and an artistic picture of the same subject?" "Yes, I think so." "Well, usually in the pornographic picture it is the subject of the picture that is presented and that presentation is usually very crude. In an artistic picture, the emphasis is on quality of the picture and the presentation takes a huge degree of skill to achieve. There is the same difference between pornographic dance and an artistic dance." "You're telling me that I can make a lap dance into an artistic dance?" "Yes," he replied. He smiled as he looked over her and added, "You can dance so sexy that you can make a man come even without touching him. The lap dance doesn't mean you have to rub your cunt on his pants until he comes. No, you can sit almost motionless on his lap and achieve the same thing." "So how do I learn how to do this thing?" "I don't know," replied John. Virginia was startled, "What do you mean you don't know?" "I am not a dancer. Nevertheless, if I had to become one, I would learn everything that there is to know about dance in all its forms. I would study ballet, belly dancing, folk dancing, primitive dances, and Bali dances. You are a smart young lady. I know that because you speak well, carry yourself with dignity and act civilized. I also believe that if you put your mind to it, you could become an extremely good dancer." "You don't see me as some kind of whore?" She couldn't believe this guy. He actually understood her. She was used to being looked on as a tramp, ridiculed by people, and generally treated without respect. This guy was different. "No. Do you see yourself that way?" "No." "Good. It is getting late and you've got two kids that need you more than I." Virginia stood and kissed him on the forehead. She smiled down at him, "You're a wonderful guy. I think the woman who gets you will be very lucky." John laughed, "You just don't know me well enough. It would take a saint to live with me. I'm mean and irritable most of the time. You just caught me on a good day." Virginia left feeling like the debt she owed him was greater now than when she had entered. She wondered how he would talk to a prostitute and then wondered if maybe there was a difference even in that profession. John rested for half an hour and then got up. Not used to lying about all day, he decided to go for a walk. He stepped out of the room and walked down the hall. He saw that Ms. Smith was at her desk. She had been treating him like some sort of special beast ever since she came on duty tonight. He decided to play a joke on her. John got down and crawled to the front of her desk so that she couldn't see him. He kept hidden and said, "Ms. Smith, help me. I've become invisible." Ms. Smith looked up and didn't see John. For a fraction of a second she believed him and then caught herself. Holding back a smile, she looked back down at her paperwork and stated, "John, I swear you are eight years old. I didn't fall for that with my kids and I haven't fallen for that with my grandchildren. So stand up." John stood up smiling broadly, "You're no fun at all." Ms. Smith replied, "It looks like I'm going to have to add you to my collection of other bad boys in my basement. Pity too. I had such high hopes for you." They both looked at each other and started laughing. John finally stated, "I was wanting to take a walk around the hospital and meet people. Is that a problem?" "You really shouldn't walk around like that. The burn may bother some people." "How about if I wear some surgical scrubs?" Ms. Smith nodded, "Ok, give me a minute to get one for you. You will need to be back by bed time though." "Yes, ma'am." John waited until Ms. Smith arrived with the bottom half of a surgical scrub. John when down to his room. Dressing, he realized that he didn't know how comfortable they were until now. He headed off to explore the rest of the hospital. As he traveled, staff and nurses came to him and chatted. All of them were very interested in meeting him. Some thanked him for things he had done for family or friends. As John walked around meeting people, he realized that he had become something of a celebrity. The idea made him a little uneasy. He returned to his room emotionally drained. When he entered the room, he was surprised to find a man waiting for him. He took a deep breath and held out his hand, "Hello, I'm John Carter. Who might you be?" "I might be Jeff Hunt, the staff psychologist," replied the man. He waited to see John's reaction. "Okay, I guess that means you might not be Jeff Hunt." Jeff laughed, "Touche." "Do you mind if I lie down while we chat?" "Please do if it would make you more comfortable." "Thank you. It's not that I think it is appropriate to be lying down when dealing with a psychologist, but that I'm a little tired." "I understand that." "I imagine that you are here to help me work through this traumatic experience. So what do we do now?" asked John. "Straight to the point. I guess you can start by answering how you feel about what happened," asked the doctor. "I don't feel traumatized." "You don't?" "Not at all." Dr. Hunt sat back in the chair and looked at John. Clearly the young man was in some sort of denial about his experience. How could someone run into a burning building, encounter a dead man, suffer severe burns and not feel traumatized? He asked, "What about your wounds?" "They aren't that bad. The doctors are going to let me out in two days. They say that I'm healing very quickly." The doctor checked the chart and realized that John was correct. He read the initial diagnosis and then the notes added to the chart. He wondered about the healing rate this guy demonstrated. He chose a different tactic, "How about the fire?" "Well, I'm happy that I was able to get the two kids out of the house." "How about the man that died?" "Well, I feel sorry that he died. But then, being dead isn't that bad." John thought about it for a moment and then added, "I guess I feel worse for the family because he is gone. They will miss him." "You talk as if you've had experience with being dead." "Yes." The directness with which John replied baffled the doctor. He asked, "You died before?" "Yes." "When?" John looked at the doctor realizing that he didn't believe him. He slipped the hospital gown over his shoulder and showed him the scar from the bullet wound, "I died when I was I shot. The doctor revived me and I got better." "How long were you dead?" "Four minutes. I know, it's not a long time. I didn't really want to come back, but I did." "Are you disappointed?" "No, actually I'm glad to be alive. There's still so much to see and do." The doctor sat back and wondered what to think of this guy. If he was being honest, then he was about as sane a person as he had ever seen. They continued to talk for another hour. John fascinated the doctor. He answered every question the doctor asked with honesty and thoughtfulness. There were no attempts to evade difficult areas of conversation. He answered incredibly personal questions about life, sex, and death with complete candor. His philosophy of life took into account his own frailties, as well as those of others. He saw value in things that others looked down upon. Rather than ignore or demean the ugly parts of life, this guy tried to understand them. It was not that this guy was an optimist. He believed in evil and recognized it when he saw it. He didn't see evil as a sickness that could be cured or excused by the environment in which one was raised. He felt that mistakes could be excused to a point, but people that did not learn from their mistakes ultimately had to pay for the errors of their way. It was not that he was free of guilt, all humans have made mistakes for which they feel some responsibility. This guy was balanced in that he didn't feel guilty about things that others thought he should do, but that he was incapable of doing or that originated from their selfishness. If he came in second in a race and ran as fast as he could, then he wouldn't feel guilty for not winning. If someone wanted him to run to the store for them and made the request out of laziness, John was more than happy to decline. If he didn't do the right thing or didn't do it to the best of his capability, then he felt guilt. That was healthy. He didn't strive for perfection, but attempted excellence. It was a rare person that recognized the difference. Their discussion was interrupted by a knock on the door. Jeff looked at his watch and realized that he had spent far more time than he had intended. John called out, "Come in." Jeff excused himself as seven adults entered the room. They all crowded around John thanking him for the kindness he had shown their children. John accepted their thanks and explained how much fun he had reading to the children. He told them about the stores that had donated the books and the bookshelf that was coming in the morning. They thanked him again before leaving. John fell asleep almost as soon as the group left. ------- Chapter 11 John left the room feeling very good about his morning spent with the children. The bookcase had arrived and they had assembled it as a team. The kids took turns on each of the jobs; one reading the instructions, one bringing the parts, one helping to hold the various parts together, and one to provide the tools when they were needed. John was the only one that used the tools. The kids had a fun time and kept correcting him whenever he was about to make a mistake. He left after it was assembled to allow them a chance to fill it with the books. A well-dressed gentleman was standing outside the room wiping his eyes with a handkerchief. His well-tailored gray suit spoke of money. He was about 65 years old or so with thin gray hair. He was a little over weight with the build typical of men his age. John asked, "Sir, can I help you in some way?" The man looked up and stated, "You must be John Carter." "Yes, I am and you are?" The man blew his nose and then put up his handkerchief. He was a little embarrassed at showing emotion in public. He answered, "I'm Fred Maxwell. I donated the bookshelf to the burn unit." John reached out with his hand, "I'm very pleased to meet you. Your generosity means a lot to those kids." The man's eyes misted again, "I watched you put it together. That was the nicest thing I have ever seen in my life. The looks of joy on their faces will live with me for the rest of my life." "It sounds a little personal for you." "You're observant," replied Fred. "Why don't you come into my room and tell me about it? Maybe I can help." Fred stood in the hall for a minute thinking about the offer. He was from a generation that didn't like to talk about their problems. He was about to refuse the offer, but changed his mind. He had lived with this for more than forty years. He answered, "It just might be time for me to talk about this." John led him to his room. Once they entered, John closed the door. Fred sat down in the single chair while John sat on the bed. Fred rested his right ankle on his left knee and sat there playing with the bottom of his pants legs. He stared at his right foot as he thought about his past. John sat there watching Fred work through his internal issues. Finally, Fred broke the silence, "I served in the army during the Korea Conflict." "Most Americans under appreciate the conditions that our soldiers experienced there. That was a tough war." John had heard many stories about that war from people that he had talked with in the past. Many Americans did not realize that the war had never ended. There were still causalities because of hostilities at the border between north and south. "Yes, it was," replied Fred. He continued, "I... Well, I carried a flame thrower." "That was exceptionally dangerous. One stray bullet and you'd have been the one on fire." "I have not had a good night sleep since then. Every night I have nightmares. I see the faces of each and every man that I burned." Fred sat staring down at the floor lost in his thoughts. Even now, the faces of the men that he had burned floated before his eyes. It was odd, but he had no other memories of Korea. He couldn't say where he had been stationed or who served with him. John understood the inner demons that plagued Fred. Because of his sense of duty to country, he had committed acts that rocked the foundation of his moral sense. In a way, it was amazing this man had not reacted violently on his return to the states. John knew that talking would not save this man from his inner conflict. He needed to work as a means of atonement. He said, "Well, I can tell you a few things that might help you. That is, if you want to hear them." Fred looked down at his shoe getting prepared to hear the standard argument. With a sigh, he answered, "Talk away. I'll do my best to listen." John sat there for a minute and then stated, "Last year I died." Fred looked up and stared at the young man. His expectations had been a few words that he didn't do anything wrong. He had already made those arguments with himself. He knew it wasn't his fault that he had been put in that position. It didn't help. His fingers continued to fondle the hem of his pants, but his attention was focused on John. He raised his eyebrows in an unspoken question. John nodded and then continued, "That's right, I died. I can tell you from personal experience, that it's not bad. In fact, it is very pleasant." The evidence of shock made his voice quaver, "Could you tell me more about it?" "No, I can't. Words can't convey what I felt. Can words adequately explain the horror you feel at what you have done? No, they can't. Just know that death is the opposite of that kind of horror." This answer was not what Fred had been expecting, but he recognized the truth that some things couldn't be explained to others. He asked, "So what are you trying to say to me?" "I'm saying that the men that you may have killed are not in pain any more. They are in a different place now; a place that has no room for pain. You don't have to accept that on faith, but as fact." "I can understand that. They are in heaven now," commented Fred. Religion had become increasingly more important to him. In part, he had wanted to find solace in it from past. In part, he had reached the age where death had become more of a reality and it was through religion that he was attempting to come to grips with his mortality. "I think if you talk to the people here, you'll find the rest of the answers that you are looking for. You will find out what it is like to survive the burn and that, perhaps, will allow you to come to better grips with what you've done." "I feel like I need more than just answers." John smiled and nodded. He could understand Fred's position and his need for some sort of redemption. He suggested, "Those kids have a bunch of books that someone should read to them. I'm checking out soon and then there will be no one. A new sadness will settle in that room." Fred sat quietly lost in private thoughts. He recognized that a need that had been within him for forty years could now be answered. He slowly stood and turned to the door. With soft steps, he left the room without saying another word. John watched him leave. He smiled as he recognized that Fred was a man about to undertake a mission of his own making. It was now only a matter of summoning up sufficient courage. An hour later a very petite young nurse entered the room. She had short brown hair, green eyes, and oval face. She wore a white skirt rather than the white pants that were the most frequent garb worn by nurses within the hospital. Even with the loose over-shirt, it was easy to tell that she had very small breasts. She had a very nice smile that reminded John of Lily, the woman that had been vacationing by working as a waitress. She broke the silence, "John, I'm Susan." "Nice to meet you Susan. Are you here to collect more blood?" "Oh, nothing so bad. I'm here to give you a bath." John blushed as he thought back to the last sponge bath he had received. He had covered almost the entire hospital looking for Betsy, but no one would tell him how to reach her. He was sure this would be a regular sponge bath. He laughed, "Good, I was afraid that I'd die of blood loss if a mosquito bit me when I leave here." "So long as you die outside the hospital, it isn't our fault," laughed the nurse. She continued, "Now get undressed while I get everything ready." John sat there puzzled for a minute and then got undressed down to the hospital gown. He assumed that this is what she meant. In the meantime, the nurse had gone into the bathroom and filled the basin with warm water. John had just returned to the bed when the nurse exited the bathroom. His jaw dropped and his cock rose when he saw that she was completely naked. Her body was thin, but not so thin that her bones showed. She retained a feminine figure. Her breasts were almost non-existent, but her nipples were the twice size of erasers. He had once heard that the nipples on small-breasted women tended to be very sensitive. He wondered if it was true. She laughed on observing him in the bed. His reaction to her body was given away by the nice tent in his hospital gown. She said, "You're still dressed, silly. Now take that off while I get everything else ready for your bath." John slowly removed his hospital gown. His emotions were divided between embarrassment, desire, and reluctance. His embarrassment arose because of his extremely visible erection. His desire was rooted in the normal sex drive of a healthy male. His reluctance was rooted in his wish that it was Betsy giving him the bath rather than Susan. However, the sex drive knows no boundaries of right or wrong particularly when one is not in a committed relationship. It won out as the excitement of a naked woman fueled it. The sponge bath proceeded very normally. There were no overt sexual advances as she washed his back, legs, arms, and chest. Even when reached his groin, her touch remained professional. She had avoided directly touching his cock and balls. As soon as she finished washing him, she stated, "Well, that wasn't too bad was it?" John's erection had remained through the whole bath. In fact, it had become even harder. As she had moved around, she had given him very nice views of her body. The contrast between the view she presented him and her professionalism while bathing him had a strangely erotic effect. His voice cracked, "Not bad at all." She smiled, "Now we have to increase your blood flow. We don't want you to get bedsores." She proceeded to lightly massage him. Her touches were feather light and brushed his entire body. It sent ripples of pleasure through his body. He was moaning from desire by the time she finished. He was about to relax when she took his cock into her mouth. She started humming as she worked her tongue around all of the sensitive parts of his cock. She paid particular attention to the shaft just below the head. He couldn't believe how quickly he approached the point of no return. He blurted out, "I'm coming." Simultaneously, Susan pulled her mouth from his cock, wrapped a hand around it, and fondled his balls. The multiple changes in sensations delayed his orgasm only by seconds. He came as she massaged his balls with a soft touch. As he recovered from the orgasm, she cleaned the semen off his body. John stated, "Thank you so much. That was incredible. I've never experienced anything like it." "You're welcome." She went into the bathroom for a minute while she dressed. John was totally amazed at the quality of the orgasm he had just experienced. Relaxing, he felt happy just to lie there and enjoy the feelings. Susan came out of the bathroom fully dressed. She gathered the bathing materials and prepared to leave. She smiled, " I just wanted to thank you for helping my aunt." John asked, "Who was she?" Susan smiled, "Mrs. Sardon" John nodded as he recalled the woman. She had a panic attack at one of the major department stores in town. He had helped calm her down and get her home. It was a little thing, but he remembered that she had sent him a thank you note. He replied, "I remember. She's a very nice lady; she just doesn't like crowded areas." Susan eyes misted, "You really do remember her." John smiled, "She sent me a thank you note. I really appreciated that." Susan nodded, "She's kind of old fashioned that way. It would have surprised me if she hadn't sent you one." John sat back and looked at Susan for a moment, "You really care about her, don't you?" "Yes, she's my favorite aunt," Susan sighed. Susan worried about her aunt. The episode in the store had really upset her. That had been the latest in a series of anxiety attacks. She was afraid that her aunt would become housebound. If that happened, she had no idea how she could help her. Her hours at the hospital tended to change from week to week and she always worked overtime. She would not be able to do anything for her aunt with any kind of regularity. "And you worry about her anxiety attacks," suggested John. "Very much." "I currently rent a room from a retired woman. She doesn't get out much. I do the shopping, fix things around the house, and deal with any strangers that have to come in the house. It works out well for everyone. She has me around to take care of things and I get a cheap place to live. Her family appreciates it because they know someone is around to take care of her." Susan was thoughtful for a moment, "Thank you again. You've given me a good idea." "Well, if you need someone then let me know. I know most of the graduate students on campus and can recommend someone that would be very good. Knowing your aunt, I would suggest one of our female students. I can leave contact information with Nurse Betty." Susan smiled, "I just might do that. Goodbye, John." "Thank you, Susan," replied John. He watched as she left the room. He knew he would be getting a call from her sometime soon. After dressing, John strolled out of the room and to the nurses station. Nurse Betty was on duty. His arrival was met with a knowing grin, "Did you enjoy your sponge bath?" "Yes, very much. It is nice of you to take such interest in my personal hygiene," replied John. He knew that Nurse Betty was the one that had arranged the special treatments. He was curious about what would happen next. Nurse Betty laughed, "Just part of our service plan for heroes." "I know you won't believe this, but I'm not a hero. I'm just an ordinary guy that happens to be at the right place at the right time." "Modest too," replied the nurse. She still couldn't get over the changes in the kids in the ward. After John had returned to his room, Fred Maxwell had come to her station to talk to her about John's suggestion concerning reading to the kids every day. He stated that he was going into semi-retirement and needed something to help fill in his days. When she had warned him about the children's appearance, he had replied that he had already seen the children and that there wasn't anything wrong with them that he couldn't handle. The introductions to the kids went smoothly. He had complemented them on the construction of the new bookcase. They positively glowed as a result of his complements and now had a permanent storyteller. She knew that a hero didn't just rescue the maiden; he also made sure that she was going to be all right after he left. John had done that. John shook off the compliment as though it were undeserved, "Would it be alright if I went for a walk around the hospital?" "No problem. You might want to stop in the cafeteria though. Most people take their breaks there and you would be catching them at a good time to chat." "Thanks for the suggestion, I'll do just that." John headed directly for the cafeteria hoping that the person he was searching for would come in. He wasn't there for long before people started gravitating to where he was seated. All of them told him how honored they were to finally get a chance to meet him. He thanked them for all of their attention. Occasionally, he would mention Betsy and ask if anyone knew where she might be stationed. No one seemed to know anything about Betsy. After an hour, John was thoroughly convinced that either no one knew who she was or that they were protecting her from him in some way. He gave up and headed to his room. Stepping off the elevator, he looked around. One more day and he would be gone. In fact, it probably wasn't even a full day now. Discouraged, he walked towards his room. As he passed the nurses station, he got an idea. Stopping suddenly, he asked, "Nurse Betty, I need some help." "What's the matter?" "I'm trying to find someone and no one seems to know her." "Who?" "Betsy." "Betsy?" "Yes, the woman that was here yesterday." Nurse Betty frowned for a moment and then realized to which woman he was referring. She laughed, "Of course, no one here knows her. She doesn't work at the hospital." "Oh," replied John. He didn't know how to interpret that. If she didn't work here, then how was it that she was here to give him his sponge bath yesterday. Had Nurse Betty hired her? He didn't think that was right. "She works at another medical facility. If you want, I can let her know that you wanted to talk to her." "Please, I would appreciate it so much," replied John. He caught the look that Betty was giving him and blushed in embarrassment as he thought back to yesterday. He stuttered, "It's nothing like that. I'd like to take her out on a date." Nurse Betty just smiled and nodded. She watched him squirm. She had seen how much Betsy had wanted to be the first one to give him a sponge bath. She could see the excitement that the idea had for Betsy. The girl positively glowed as she talked about the times she had met John. She knew that Betsy would be calling him, particularly since Betsy had continued to rave about John after the sponge bath. John misinterpreted the silence for disbelief. He added, "Really. I just want to take her to dinner and a movie, maybe have a chance to talk to her." Betty laughed, "Okay, John. I do believe you. I'll give her a call." Betty turned to fill out some paper work thinking that everything had been settled. John stood there waiting anxiously. He kept glancing at the telephone and then at Betty. Betty noticed that he was still there. She suddenly realized he was waiting for her to make the call. She smiled, "John, I'll call her later. Don't worry. Now find something to do, okay?" John nodded and walked away. He went in his room and sat in the chair waiting to hear from Nurse Betty. While sitting there, he turned his thoughts to the cold fusion problem that he had been working on before leaving the lab the other day. Again, the question arose as to what geological process could produce a cold fusion reaction. He thought about volcanoes, tectonic plate movement, and other such processes. None of them seemed likely candidates. He wondered if the paper could have been wrong in that area as well. There was still the difference between the actual temperature of the earth and the temperature that the earth should have been. Something had to account for that difference. His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of lunch. The nutritionist, June Anderson, brought in another great meal. Lunch was a grilled cheese sandwich served with a bowl of tomato soup. Dessert was a bowl of Jell-O. June sat down and watched as John ate. His obvious pleasure at the meal pleased her a great deal. She had been surprised when he had asked for that particular lunch; she had been expecting him to ask for a roast beef sandwich or shrimp salad. John looked up and saw that she was watching him. He joked, "If I had known that hospital food was this good, I'd have gotten burned a long time ago." June laughed, "You've got to be kidding." "No, I'm serious. I spend all of my time working or walking. I eat very simply, mostly cereals for breakfast, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch, microwave dinners. You've been really nice to me and I appreciate it." June looked at him puzzled, "What kind of life do you live?" John laughed, "I basically live like a monk." "What, you live in a monk's cell?" John nodded, "You know when I was working on my master's degree, I lived in a closet that I rented in a house. I'll admit, it was a big closet, probably six by ten feet in dimension. I slept on the floor, my clothes were on hangers, and my camping gear was on a shelf. When I moved here, I mailed all of my possessions to the university. It was three small boxes." June frowned, "You're kidding." John shook his head, "Not at all. Like I said, I live very simply." June was shocked. She asked, "How do you live now?" "Oh, I rent a room from a little old lady. She's nice, but she doesn't really trust me to use the kitchen," replied John. He changed the subject by requesting, "Tell me more about your grandmother." "My grandmother?" "Yes, I still don't know who your grandmother is. You told me that I helped her, but I can't place her to save my life." "Let me give you a hint. She taught me how to cook." John sat there and thought about that. Suddenly he realized that there was one woman that was always trying to get him to come over for dinner. She had tried to bribe him with pot roast, turkey, ham, and seafood. He tried to recall the name and then he remembered, "Your grandmother is Marge?" "Yes," replied June. She added, "and one of these days you will have to come to her house for dinner. I assure you that you will enjoy it a lot." "I'm sure I would. The problem is that I usually work in the lab until late at night, so I don't think I could do that on a weekday. I usually go hiking on the weekends." June looked at his leg. She smiled, "I don't think you'll be hiking for a couple of weeks. You're getting out tomorrow, so why don't you let my aunt cook for you next Saturday?" John nodded, "Okay, I'll be there." "I'll let her know to expect you. She'll be delighted to hear the news." John finished eating. June took his tray and left the room. John sat there for a few more minutes thinking about Betsy. He walked down to the nurses station and waited for Nurse Betty to notice him. When she looked up, she asked, "What can I do for you?" He asked, "Did you call her yet?" Nurse Betty looked at John for a minute. She thought about teasing him and pretending that she didn't know about whom he was talking. She noticed the serious look on his face and decided to relent. This appeared to be very important to him. She shook her head, "I'll talk to her. Now, I have to work." John frowned, "I'm sorry to keep bugging you. It's just that I really want to see her again." "You like her?" John smiled, "Yes. I wanted to ask her out when I gave blood at the school, but I didn't have the nerve." Betty smiled at him. "Don't worry, I'll call her and tell her you are serious." "Thanks." "So what are you going to do now?" John thought about it for a moment and then laughed, "I'm going to teach the kids how to play Hunt The Bug Eyed Monsters." Betty frowned, "I hope that it doesn't involve running around." "Don't worry. It's a great game. Even kids that can't move at all can play it. They can be pilots, captains, navigators, gunners, and repairmen." John smiled, "I've never met a bunch of kids that didn't like it." "Well, don't get them too excited." John smiled and walked down the hall. He entered the kids room and sat down on the floor. The kids noticed him and formed a circle around him expecting him to read to them. Instead, he started to explain how to play a new game. An hour later, Nurse Betty looked in the room to find the kids sitting in front of him with their backs to him. One of them shouted, "Captain, the Bug Eyes are straight ahead." John stated in a serious voice, "Okay, pilot. Take us there. Gunners, prepare your weapons." The kids shouted back, "Aye, aye, captain!" One of the kids shouted, "There they are." Two of the kids started making 'zzzzing' noises. John called out to the pilot, "Pilot, avoid their torpedo's." John shouted, "Oh my, they almost got us." The kids laughed as they insulted the Bug Eyed Monsters for their bad shooting. There was lots of laughing and giggling, as some of the insults were poor. John laughed along with them. Nurse Betty smiled to herself as she returned to her desk. The kids had been smiling and enjoying the game. It was amazing to see the difference that John had made in the Burn Ward. He had done more for the kids and their mental health in two days, then the psychologist had managed in months. She returned to her desk and made a call to Betsy. ------- Chapter 12 John looked around the laboratory satisfied with himself. It had taken him almost a week to clean the optics and realign them. He only had to balance the lasers and then he would be able to take data. Balancing the lasers would take most of a morning. That would leave the afternoon for him to take the data. He would start with that tomorrow morning. Today was Tuesday. He would take data every day of the rest of the week. It would be exactly the same data, but that would allow him to verify that the experiment was reproducible. Actually, the data would have some variance from run to run, but the differences should be statistically insignificant. He sat at his desk and looked over the papers that he had collected there. The majority of them dealt with the mechanics of fluid deformation. These papers covered the effects of applying pressure to a fluid; making measurements of deformations on surfaces; and formation of droplets of specific sizes. For most people, this kind of material would be as boring to read as a telephone book. To John, there was an entire world of amazing concepts and possibilities in locked up in a single droplet. When hiking, he often came across waterfalls. The rainbows that he had seen from various locations around the falls had fascinated him. He had seen simple rainbows, inverted rainbows, circular rainbows, and double rainbows. While studying physics, he had learned how rainbows were produced. He had come to understand the impact that droplets could have on light. Then one day, he had asked himself the question concerning what impact light had on the droplet. He hoped this experiment would help him answer that question. His thoughts were interrupted by the ring of his telephone. It surprised him. This was the very first call he had received the entire time he had been at the university. He answered it to discover that it was the department secretary. She stated that he had a visitor and wondered if she should bring him to the lab. This had become normal procedure since a visitor had once set back an experiment by almost six months by breaking some equipment. Most researchers were very careful about inviting visitors into their labs, usually meeting visitors in their offices. Since John's office and lab were the same room, this presented a problem. John looked at the table and decided that it was far enough to the side that a visitor wouldn't have much chance of hurting it. He told her that it was okay to bring his visitor down to the lab. While waiting for the visitor to arrive, John cleared the stack of papers that he had set on the second chair in the room. He wanted a place for his visitor to sit. He had just finished that when there was a knock on the door. He opened the door and greeted the secretary, "Hello, Jane." The gentleman standing behind Jane was tall and solidly built. He appeared to be in his early fifties. He looked like a business executive. His hair was perfectly grayed at the temples and dark every where else. Jane answered, "Hello, John this is Director Mike Holden of the FBI. He has a few questions to ask you." John stepped back to make room for the man to enter the lab. He replied, "Thank you Jane. Sir, do you want to come in and have a seat?" Mike entered the room and looked around. The room was tidy except for a couple of small stacks of photocopied papers placed on the desk and on the floor next to the desk. The table on which the experiment was laid out was extremely neat and well organized. There was no mess of any kind. Mike answered, "Sure." John sat in the chair at his desk and turned to face the FBI agent, "I'm sorry, I've never dealt with the FBI before. How am I supposed to address you?" "You can call me Mike. This is an informal visit," replied the director. He studied John trying to correlate the description of his actions with his appearance. The mostly white beard looked rather strange. The longish hair gave him the appearance of a sixties reject. He was slender and didn't look that strong, but he did have an air of fitness about him. The light blue shirt and denim jeans made him look like any other graduate student. There wasn't anything about his appearance that set him apart from others, except for a kind of charismatic glow. "So what can I do for you?" asked John. He was trying to figure out what the FBI might want with him. Perhaps they were investigating one of the other people in the university, but the intensity with which he was being examined suggested that he was the target of an investigation. The director studied John for several minutes. The directness and intensity of his gaze made John rather nervous. He finally broke the silence, "I was visiting a friend on the police force here and your name kept coming up in conversations. I was curious, so I came here to see you for myself." John frowned, "I know a number of people in the police force. I'd be very surprised if they said anything negative about me." "Oh, they didn't say anything negative. In fact, they claimed you were some kind of hero; that you went around saving people from life threatening accidents." The police officers had all said amazing things about this young man. He heard stories of the guy interrupting robberies, running into burning buildings, and covering others with his own body in drive-by shootings. The soft- spoken young man did not suggest such heroic tendencies. "I'm not any kind of hero. I'm just happy to be able to help someone when I come across a situation that I can fix." The agent stared at John for another minute. He had seen many people perform heroic deeds in the past. Most had that same kind of modesty, almost an embarrassment at the attention they were receiving. The silence unnerved John, but he was more confused than bothered. Finally, the agent stated, "Yes, they said that you would say that. They also said that they had assigned an uncover cop to follow you around." "Pardon?" asked a very surprised John. He had no idea that he had been followed. He wondered when that had happened. "Yes, everyone thought that it was weird that you just happened to show up at the scenes of so many accidents, mishaps, and medical emergencies. They followed you to see for themselves. After two weeks of following you around they decided that it was just a bizarre coincidence." John cocked his head, "They could have asked me and I would have told them that." Mike laughed, "Well, it was possible that you were setting up these situations so that you could be a hero. You think they would have believed you if you said otherwise?" "Sure, why wouldn't they?" Mike shook his head. This guy was too trusting to be a crook. He decided to tackle the real reason he was there. He asked, "May I see it?" John's heart seemed to stop in his chest. The medallion was the only thing this man could mean by his request. He asked, "See what?" "The medallion." John took a deep breath before asking, "What do you know about the medallion?" "Show it to me." John unbuttoned his shirt and pulled out the medallion. He lifted it in the direction of Mike. Mike leaned forward and examined it. John stated, "I can't take it off." "I know that," Mike countered. "You don't have one." "How did you know that?" John shrugged, "I don't know exactly. You've been touched by magic, but that sense of magic that comes with the medallion just isn't around you." Mike nodded in agreement. He had heard that statement before from various psychics. He stated, "You also won't tell me how you got it." John nodded, "That's correct. How do you know about the medallion?" Mike sat back in the chair and stared across the room. He answered, "It's a long story." "I have time." Mike turned to look at John and proceeded to tell his story. "I was a simple soldier in Vietnam. Our unit had one of the lowest casualty rates in the whole theatre of war. You see there was a guy, Pete, in my platoon that would get some weird feelings and tell us what we should do. Sometimes, he'd say we should all hunker down and prepare for a skirmish. Other times, he'd say we should get out of that area and go in that direction. Occasionally, he'd stop our patrol and tell us to change our direction to avoid an ambush. Our Lieutenant listened to this guy as if he was some sort of prophet. The thing is, this guy was always right. In Vietnam, you learned to trust people with a sixth sense. It usually meant the difference between life and death." "Well, one day we were on leave and the Lieutenant broke his leg in a freak accident. The army sent out a guy just out of the academy to take his place. This guy didn't listen to Pete at all. First patrol out, Pete starts jumping around like a rat is chewing on his private parts. He keeps telling the Lieutenant that we need to get out of there. The Lieutenant ignores him at first and then after ten minutes of Pete's continuous jumping about threatens to shoot him. By this time, we're all nervous and jumpy as hell. You see, we'd been around Pete for a long time and trusted his instincts. Well, about five minutes later we find ourselves face to face with the enemy. All hell breaks loose and bullets start flying in every direction. We end up with one dead and seven wounded. It could have been worse, but we had been ready for action because of Pete." John listened to the story carefully. He had an idea of why Pete acted the way he did. There were times when the urge to get somewhere was so intense he couldn't sit still. He had never been in a position where he couldn't leave when the urge came upon him. Mike continued his story, "You would think that after that experience the Lieutenant would have listened to Pete. He didn't. Our second patrol started out like our first. Pete started jumping around and saying that we needed to get out of there. The Lieutenant threatened to shoot him. This time, Pete got even more frantic. Let me tell you, we were really spooked. We continued moving through the jungle for about a hundred yards and Pete almost goes catatonic. I was standing next to Pete and when he collapsed, I knelt down. At that moment, bullets start flying at us from every side. We were surrounded. Next thing I know, there are only three of us left alive. Pete, Harry, and myself were taken prisoner by the Vietcong." "The first thing they do is search us and remove everything. Pete has this medallion hanging around his neck. It's just like yours only it says something to the effect of 'A Life To Save.' They try to remove it, but it sticks to his skin. They wrestled with that medallion for an hour to no effect. Finally, they decided they've been in the area too long and we were marched to a camp." "There is nothing pleasant about being a prisoner of war. You are feed shit to eat and treated like dirt. What I experienced was nothing compared to what they were doing to poor Pete. They would beat him unmercifully and drag his broken body into the bamboo cage they used to hold us. He usually felt pain, but it was no where near what he should have been feeling. A week later, Pete would be back to normal. I've never seen anyone heal so quickly. No matter what they did though, they couldn't get the medallion off him. They also couldn't get him to tell them anything about it. It was unnatural that anyone could be treated so harshly and act so normally through it all." "Things went on like that for a couple of months. Then they noticed that Pete reacted when Harry or I would be punished. They decided on a different tack. One day they dragged me into the interrogation area with Pete. They hung Pete from a rafter using a rope tied around his wrists. They tied me down in a chair facing Pete. Then the torture started. They would ask Pete a question and when he wouldn't answer, they would hit my feet with a bamboo cane. Soon, Pete told them everything he knew about the medallion. You could tell that telling his story was hurting him more than any torture they could have inflicted upon him." John shook his head in sympathy with Pete. He could see how that torture would have a greater effect on him than getting hurt personally. He wondered how he would have stood up to that kind of abuse. With that thought, he hoped that he would never be in a position to find out. Mike paused as he thought back to that day. He continued, "Well, the story didn't come out in a coherent fashion. I've reconstructed what happened from his answers to their questions. It seems he was in a park and encountered a woman. She pointed out the medallion to him and he went to get it. Along the way, he found someone bleeding to death. In another half a minute, that person would have died. He knelt down and gave first aid by tying a tourniquet around the arm. He carried the person to the medallion using a fireman's carry. On getting the medallion, the person turned into the woman and she placed it around his neck. He apparently fell asleep and woke up to find that two days had gone by." John nodded his head at all the similarities between Pete's experiences and his own. A major difference was that Pete hadn't been raped. Of course, there may have been more to the story than his interrogators had gotten out of him. He cautiously added, "It sounds familiar." Mike nodded his head. "Well, the story about the medallion doesn't end there. You see, they decided that they really wanted it. Since they couldn't get it off his living body, they decided to see what would happen when Pete was dead. I was still tied in the chair when the commander stepped up and shot Pete in the head. He died instantly. The medallion just evaporated. However, I went berserk. Somehow, a super human strength seemed to flow into me and I broke the ropes they had used to tie me into the chair. I went on a killing rampage. By the time I was rational again, every Vietcong in the camp was dead. Harry was standing beside what was left of the cage with a terrified look on his face." "We made our way back to the American troops and told our story. We were both promoted and shipped out of Vietnam. Harry would never voluntarily stay in a room alone with me. He later killed himself." John nodded, "Your story makes sense to me. I'm sure the Lady would respond to the death of her agent with wrath. Did Harry ever say what he saw?" "A mutual acquaintance told me that Harry once got drunk and told him about that night. He said that I came out of the interrogation area glowing with a light that was red. I have no idea what a red light looks like, but that was how he described it. I was carrying a blazing sword and moved around the camp like an avenging angle. Nothing could stand against me. He said they shot at me the whole time and I was unhurt. He said that I was able to avoid each bullet that came at me." John asked, "So what is it that you want from me?" Mike sat there silently for several minutes. He was reliving his experiences in Vietnam again. Finally, he stated, "The fact that you are an active researcher helps my cause. I have many contacts in Washington. I can help you get funding for your research and support you in all that you need to do." "Why would you do that?" "Let's just say that I feel a debt to Pete. Somehow, I think we need people that carry the medallion in this world. I don't think you should have to worry about holding down a job where you can't leave when the need arises. Who knows who you might save. It might be the next Einstein or a future president. I don't know, but I think that if you don't save them the world will be a worse place than it is." John thought about it for a moment. He knew that his time in Austin had already given him too much recognition. He was going to have to stay until he got his degree, but after that, he was going to have to keep moving. He didn't like the notoriety that he was getting. He stated, "I need to finish my work here. Then I need to move around. Too many people are aware of my activities here." Mike nodded, "I noticed that. I can get you all the funding you need, but I suggest you keep your needs low key. That way, we can keep it going for the rest of your life. For now, I would take frequent breaks in your research so that you don't over expose yourself." "I agree." "Good, I'll go to Washington tonight. You'll have your funding in a couple of days. I figure 100K per year for your salary and overhead and another 100K a year for experimental equipment, travel, and other such expenses. That should be sufficient for your near-term requirements." John couldn't believe what he had been hearing. This was a dream come true. He was so excited that he felt the need to walk. He suggested, "Mike, would you like to walk with me for a bit?" "Feeling a little restless?" "Yes." "Okay, let's go." The two men left the lab and walked down the hall. John carried his walking stick. As they passed the chemistry lab, there was a loud explosion. A toxic cloud boiled out through the door. Without thinking, John took a deep breath of fresh air and ran into the lab. On the floor was one of the chemistry graduate students. There was no one else in the room. The fumes were burning his eyes and John knew he wouldn't be able to stay there very long. John picked him up and ran out of the room. Somehow, he managed to carry the student and his walking stick at the same time. While John was in the laboratory, Mike rushed down the hall searching for a fire alarm. Finally, he came across one and activated it. Sirens started blaring and lights started flashing. Within moments, everyone was evacuating the building. Mike helped John carry the unconscious student out of the building. The closer people were to the laboratory, the faster they seemed to rush. They had hardly stepped outside when the fire department arrived. As the firemen rushed to get into the building, John shouted, "You're gonna need a HazMat team. It was a chemical explosion." At a faster pace then they had approached the building the firemen backed up. One of them ran to John shouting, "Do you know what it was?" John answered, "I don't know. There was an explosion in a chemistry lab. It produced a huge cloud of chemical vapors." The fireman helped them carry the student further away from the building. They were well distant from the building by the time an ambulance arrived. The fireman waved the ambulance over to where they had set the student down. On the arrival of the ambulance, John shouted, "This student was in the explosion." The first man out of the ambulance was Harry. Harry smiled as he saw that John was there. As he rushed over, he shouted over his shoulder, "The hero has another one. Get the oxygen." John and Mike quickly got out of the way of Harry so that he could treat the student as quickly as possible. The driver came up with the oxygen and started assembling a mask unit. Within a minute, the student had been stabilized. The driver brought out the gurney from the ambulance. Harry looked up, "See you later, Hero. You saved another one." "Thanks Harry. Take good care of him." Harry laughed as they loaded the student into the ambulance, "Don't I always? I've never lost one of your saves." Mike stared at John. He had never seen anyone act so cool under pressure and he had seen many professionals at work. He had been so busy carrying the student that he didn't even think of warning the firemen about the chemical accident. As the ambulance drove off, Mike turned to John and asked, "Is it always like this?" "Mostly, a moment of excitement and then my work is done. I go on my way," replied John. He looked around calmly as though nothing had happened. He added, "Do you feel like a cup of coffee?" "I guess I could use one about now," replied Mike. His heart rate had almost returned to normal. Probably less than ten minutes had passed since the explosion. The HazMat team hadn't even arrived yet. John arrived home a little after nine. There was a strange car in the driveway. He went to unlock the door and found that it wasn't locked. He didn't feel like anything was wrong, but this wasn't normal. Mrs. South had been acting strange the last week or so. She was always watching him out of the corner of her eye and smiling secretively. He carefully adjusted his hold on the staff and entered the house quietly. He called out, "Mrs. South, are you okay in there?" The old woman's voice came back, "I'm just entertaining your friend, John. Come into the dining room and have some tea and cake." John was very puzzled. He didn't really have any friends here. He entered the dining room and almost dropped his walking stick when he spotted Betsy. He grinned, "Betsy, I had almost given up hope!" Mrs. South stated, "Why John, you never told me that you had such an attractive lady friend. She's lovely. Have some of the cake she brought over. I've got a pot of tea here too." Betsy smiled at John, "I heard that a young man really gave Betty a hard time the last day he was in the hospital. It seems he kept asking if she had gotten in contact with me every ten minutes." "Well, I... I... You know." John didn't know what to say. He had tried hard to get in touch with Betsy. Nurse Betty was adamant that Betsy be allowed to make the contact. "I don't know," replied Betsy smiling at his discomfort. "Dear, you've got him blushing. I couldn't imagine this strong young man is as shy as a schoolboy at his first mixed social." Mrs. South was positively beaming. She could see young love developing right in front of her eyes. In her opinion, Betsy was a fine young woman practicing one of the few respectable professions for a single woman. Betsy laughed, "Almost every time I see John, he just stands there and blushes. He's so cute." John frowned, "I'm not sure men are supposed to be cute." "You're cute. Definitely, cute." Mrs. South poured a cup of tea and put a slice of cake on a plate for him. She didn't want to come out and say anything, but she had been worried that John wasn't dating. It wasn't normal for a man his age. She had been very surprised last week when Betsy came over the first time. They had chatted for two hours about John. She was shocked when she learned the extent of John's injuries that had put him in the hospital. John had treated it as if he had the flu or something. Betsy was surprised to learn how simply John lived. She had been afraid that he was only interested in seeing her to have sex with her again. Mitigating that fear was the knowledge that he had remembered her from when he had donated blood during one of the campus blood drives. She was pleased to learn that he helped Mrs. South with errands around the house and occasionally helped baby sit her grandchildren. John accepted the cake and tea from Mrs. South. He decided that it was time to ask Betsy out. His voice betrayed his nervousness, "Ah... Betsy. There's something that I've been wanting to ask you." Betsy smiled knowingly at Mrs. South, "What could you possibly want to ask me?" Mrs. South interjected, "He couldn't possibly think that you would be interested in dating him. He's a monk and you're such a lovely vibrant young lady. I really doubt he has honorable intentions towards you." "I know. I've heard that he was a womanizing cad." John stuttered, "Huh?" The two women tittered. Mrs. South enjoyed seeing her renter acting his age. Betsy had told her how much effort John had expended in tracking her down so that he could ask her out. The romantic nature of his search had touched her heart. Betsy enjoyed the attention he was giving her. She was amazed that this handsome young man was actually interested in her. The two women had come to an agreement about dating. Mrs. South, despite her age, had been very understanding about the possibility that John and Betsy might want to spend the night together here in the house. She had surprised Betsy with a revelation that when she was younger than Betsy; she had posed in the nude for her boyfriend. She had actually shown Betsy the pictures he had taken of her. The two had really become fast friends, talking about life and love. John was still stuttering incoherently. He didn't know how to react. Mrs. South was usually a very prim and proper woman. He didn't know where Betsy had heard that he was a womanizing cad. He protested, "I'm not a monk and I'm not a cad." Betsy laughed aloud, "We know that. This guy is so cute." Mrs. South laughed, "If I were fifty-five years younger, I'd be chasing him myself. God knows I had the body for it back then." Even though he knew they were teasing him, John was shocked, "Mrs. South!" She turned to John and stated, "You don't think I was always seventy-five years old, did you?" "Of course not." Betsy stated, "You should have seen her then. She was gorgeous." John realized that these two had been talking with each other for a long time. He asked, "You know each other?" "I came over here last week and met Mrs. South. We've been gossiping about you almost everyday." "Oh." He didn't know what to make of that information. He guessed this was the cause of Mrs. South's strange behavior over the past week. Mrs. South interjected, "So stud, are you going to ask her out?" "How can I? I can't be a man of mystery anymore. You've told her all of my secrets." He was smiling at the look of consternation on Betsy's face. "Oh you are so mean!" laughed Betsy. "So would you like to go to dinner?" asked John. Mrs. South looked surprised, "Dinner? Isn't that kind of old fashioned? What about a nightclub?" John shrugged, "I don't drink and night clubs are too loud for us to have a chance to talk. I really want to know her." Betsy blushed, "You're so cute. Of course, I'll go with you." John smiled, "That's great. How about Friday?" Betsy nodded, "Okay." John was quiet for a moment and then stated, "Betsy, I know this is highly irregular, but would you mind if Mrs. South went to dinner with us? I was going to invite her to dinner because I have a little something to celebrate." Mrs. South frowned, "You don't want to drag me along on your date." Betsy shrugged, "Sure why not." John explained, "Today, I learned that I'm getting my research funded for life. It means that I never have to search for funding ever again." The two women looked at each other in surprise. Neither one of them had ever heard of such a thing. Finally, Mrs. South spoke up, "Dear, you have to grab this one and never let go. Not only is he handsome, he's also smart." Betsy smiled. "What do you think I should do to keep him?" "Oh, I definitely think that you're going to have to give him lots of sex. The kinkier the better." John had been taking a sip of his tea and almost choked on it. He decided that he wasn't going to take another drink, if they were going to keep surprising him like this. Betsy asked, "What do you suggest?" "Oh, I think threesomes, foursomes, and a little swapping now and then would be a good idea." "Sounds like fun." "Oh, and you'll need to walk around naked in the house. I might even suggest a little role-playing. My husband and I used to play Tarzan and Jane all of the time." Mrs. South was talking in such a matter of fact voice, that neither of the two doubted that she had done all of those things at one time. Of course, Betsy was a little more prepared for the revelations than John. The two women had shared many personal details over the past two weeks. ------- Chapter 13 Life for John had changed significantly over the past eight months. He had a raise because of the funding Mike Holden had arranged. He had even bought a jeep of his own. His professors treated him much better now that he was covering the costs of his research. His research was going well and was beginning to show results that he could publish and use in his dissertation. The best change in his life was his relationship with Betsy. Betsy spent several nights a week at the house with him. She was an amazingly exciting woman and had the kind of open free spirit that he appreciated. She enjoyed sex with a naturalness that was refreshing. She enjoyed oral sex and woke him every morning that she spent at the house with a wonderful blowjob. She even requested anal sex on occasion, something that none of his past lovers had ever requested. Her occupation as a nurse had given her a very good understanding of male anatomy. She used that knowledge to massage his prostate gland during sex. The result of her administrations was a mind-blowing orgasm. The one thing that would turn John off a woman faster than anything was to be treated like he was her property. The most amazing thing about her was the total lack of possessiveness and jealously that she had toward the relationship. She would occasionally invite a friend over just for fun. True to the advice that Mrs. South had given her, she was more than happy to engage in threesomes, foursomes, and moresomes. That lack of possessiveness and willingness to play bound John to her more strongly than anything else that she might have done. He had been afraid that his relationship with Betsy would mean an end to his hiking, but that had not been the case. He had hiked through Big Bend National Park over the summer for a month and a half while she had been a volunteer with some sort of aid group for refugees. When Betsy returned, he and her had taken a nice a weeklong hike. He was still able to take weekend hikes since her schedule often required her to work weekends. Dinner out on Friday nights with Betsy and Mrs. South had become a routine and one that he enjoyed very much. The conversation at dinner was always lively and interesting. He didn't realize how much he had come to enjoy those dinners until they didn't go out one Friday. Betsy had many patients that would chat about politics and Mrs. South watched cable news programs all of the time. He had to read the newspaper so that he would be able to participate in the dinner conversations without looking too ignorant. He couldn't believe how sexually wild Mrs. South had been in her youth. She would tell Betsy about her past sexual experiences. Sometimes, John would be there when they had one of those types of discussions. Those discussions always struck him as surreal, but her recognized how similar Betsy was to the younger version of Mrs. South. He wondered if Betsy would have that same type of discussions when she was seventy-five. One day Mrs. South reminisced about the times she and her husband had threesomes. She explained how she enjoyed two men at the same time more than when she and another woman were pleasing her husband. Betsy had asked her to explain why. It turned out there were multiple reasons for it and none of them were ones that John would have expected. She had explained that with two men she was the center of attention and was assured of many orgasms. She particularly enjoyed it when the men took turns as they would usually end up on her for hours at a time. There were reasons why she didn't enjoy the times when she was with another woman as much. Her husband would usually barge in before the women were ready for him. She liked pleasuring the other woman and receiving pleasure in return. The sight of two women engaged in sex with each other was often too exciting for her husband. It was also a sad fact of nature that her husband could usually satisfy only one of them. When she had sex with someone, she wanted to make sure that everyone had a good time. It didn't feel right when her husband took care of her needs and ignored the needs of the other woman. Betsy had agreed with her on all of those points. Because of these conversations, John realized that he had been very mistaken in his understanding of the elderly. It was easy to see by the lines etched on their faces that they had experienced life, but he had considered that life in terms of working, raising a family, and dealing with debt. He hadn't stopped to consider that they often had fulfilling sex lives as well. Talking with Mrs. South had convinced him that his ideas about what constitutes a good marriage were correct. She had validated everything he had told Jenny and Jack. The only thing that hadn't changed to the positive was the nature of his rescues. He was still saving peoples lives at the rate of about one per day, but the circumstances of those saves were turning more violent. Outside of the first episode in which he had been shot, there was initially very little violence involved. Then it began to be fires, drive-by shootings, and explosions. Yesterday, a bank robbery had led to a major shootout during the lunch hour when the streets were very busy. He had helped pull a number of people out of the area and treated a policeman who had been shot. His body was now becoming a patchwork quilt of scars. He had been shot several times and stabbed more than once. None of the injuries was that serious, but it was taking a toll on his body. He continued to heal at a phenomenal rate and didn't experience the level of pain commensurate with his injuries. However, scar tissue tended to restrict his movements and he often felt stiff on cold mornings. His greatest expense was new clothes to replace the bloody rags that were often the result of a rescue. He carried a spare outfit in the back of his car. At least the coming weekend looked like it would be fun. Jenny and Jack were coming down to Austin to scout out a location for a new 'Soup Shoppe.' He was looking forward to their visit. Their Friday night routine was going to be interrupted, but he expected it to be better than usual. Mrs. South's daughter had agreed to have Davie over for the weekend. John had taught her grandchildren how to fight bug-eyed monsters. He knew Davie was going to have fun. He was curious how Betsy and Jenny would get along. He wasn't worried that they would hate each other. Betsy knew that Jenny was married to Jack and so she had no reason to be jealous. Jenny was happily married to Jack, so there shouldn't be any problem there. The worst that he was expecting was indifference. He suspected that the real purpose of their visit to was check out his girlfriend and make sure that she was good enough for him. The reason Jenny and Jack stated for their visit was that they were looking at real estate. The actual reason was that both were curious about the woman that snagged their friend. Both were convinced that his wandering ways would prevent him from getting close enough to any woman to have a future with her. They had recognized an absence of that emptiness that was waiting for a woman to fill it. It was not that he didn't appreciate the presence of a woman in his life; it was more that he didn't have the drive to keep one in his life. That he had worked so hard to find this woman surprised them both. On Friday night, Betsy was the first to arrive at the house. She let herself in and announced her arrival in a cheerful voice. She was dressed in his favorite outfit of hers. It was a blue dress. It hugged her in all the right places and was loose enough to allow her to wrap herself around him. John greeted her warmly. He kissed her as his hands roamed over her body. He gave her bra-less breasts a nice feel that stiffened her nipples. Betsy was busy rubbing his stiffening cock through his jeans with her hand. Their passion was suddenly interrupted by Mrs. South. She criticized, "Boy, you guys are slow. I would have been on my knees by now." Betsy laughed, "Oh yeah, show me!" Mrs. South laughed, "Child you tempt me. However, at my age, if I get on my knees I don't think I'll ever get up." John found himself a little disturbed by this exchange. He excused himself to find a quiet place to think. He went into the bathroom and closed the door. Sitting on the edge of the bathtub, he started to think about Mrs. South and her behavior over the past few months. Her jokes about intimacy had become strained. Her voice had an edge to it that suggested she felt left out of life. He realized that she missed her husband and was in dire need of some affection from a male source. He wondered if Betsy realized this. He thought about some of the elderly men that he would meet on his walks and wondered if this wasn't an appropriate time to start making some introductions. As he thought about it, he realized there was one gentleman that might be perfect for her. Getting his thoughts in order, he left the bathroom and joined the two women in the living room. He hadn't been there five minutes when there was a knock on the door. He excitedly raced to the door to answer it. Throwing open the door; he was nearly bowled over by an exuberant Davie. He bent down and gave Davie a great big bear hug while growling loudly. Davie thrashed about thrilled at the attention. Jack and Jenny were standing behind Davie laughing at the antics. Finally, Davie had enough and backed up giggling. He tried to put on a serious face in an attempt to act older than he really was. John invited everyone in and made the introductions. It wasn't until after the introductions were made than an uneasy quietness settled on the room. The women were sizing each other up while the men stood aside uneasily wondering how things were going to turn out. In a beauty contest, it would be hard to declare a winner. Davie broke the silence with the kind of directness for which kids are known, "Mommy and Dad were both right, she's real pretty and she's nice." Jack blushed and acknowledged, "I said you'd be pretty." Jenny smiled, "I said you'd be a good woman, of course that is automatic if John is interested in you." Betsy winked, "I can be real bad." John laughed, "That's when she's at her best." Jenny laughed and added, "That's when all women are at their best, right honey?" "Yes, ma'am!" Now that the tension had been broken, the two women started chatting together like long lost friends. When the conversation started getting a little too personal, John and Jack started trying to steer the conversation towards the weather or sports. Recognizing the discomfort they were causing, Jenny and Betsy locked arms and headed towards the bedroom. Mrs. South laughed, "You boys are in trouble now." As the usual suspect in all accidents, Davie was immediately worried. He asked in a small voice, "What did I do?" Mrs. South bent down, "You're the only one that isn't in trouble." "That's good to hear." The relief on his face was quite evident. He looked up at Mrs. South and saw her smile. He decided that she understood how worried he had been. His mother had lectured him several times about not running in the house and breaking things. He suddenly remembered that he was supposed to say ma'am when he talked to an adult woman. He added, "very good to hear, ma'am." Mrs. South understood the delay as a child forgetting his manners for a moment. She smiled and added, "Do you know who's been waiting for you to get here?" Davie looked surprised, "Who?" "My three grandchildren. They can't wait to meet the best shot in the known universe." John added, "You know, four of you together will be able to have two ships when you start hunting those dreadful bug eyed monsters. Of course, you probably wouldn't want to go into battle with the first and third best pilots in the known universe. You might like to meet the second best shot though!" "Really?" "Yep, really. Of course you might have to stay the night there." "The whole night?" asked Davie in awe. He wasn't sure that he wanted to be away from his mom overnight. She always was there to tuck him into bed and now she wouldn't be there. Mrs. South added, "Of course, I heard they had put up a tent in the back yard and were going to roast marshmallows over a fire. They were planning to spend the night out there in the tent. You might not want to do that." Davie's eyes were as big as saucers. He loved the idea of camping out in the back yard. He knew that John was always hiking and camping. Now that he was getting older, he would get to try camping too. He was thinking quickly, "I want do it! I'll even fight off any bears that come around." Jack laughed, "I wouldn't worry about that. There aren't any bears around here, Davie." When Mrs. South's daughter arrived with her kids later, Davie was all set to go. The kids started talking excitedly about the adventures they were going to have that night. There wasn't even a second of hesitation in incorporating Davie into the fearless threesome. Amid a lot of noise and excitement, Jenny waved goodbye to her child for the first time ever. Davie, carrying a blue overnight bag, went out the door with hardly a look back. When he reached the car door, he did look back. His features were tinged with a mixture of excitement and fear. John made an okay sign and winked. Davie relaxed, smiled, and then climbed into the car. The five adults were left in the living room. Jenny, sitting in the middle of the couch, was a little misty eyed. Jack tried to console her by telling her that everything would be okay. When his efforts started to fail, Mrs. South came over and put her hand on Jenny's leg, "Dear, I know how tough it is to watch them go off like that. What you are feeling right now is perfectly normal. Whenever I sent one of my kids off to school for their first time, I spent the rest of the day crying. So if you feel like crying, you just go right ahead." The permission to cry had exactly the opposite effect on Jenny, just as Mrs. Smith had predicted. Jenny sat up and pulled herself together. She grabbed Jack, "Let's put up the luggage and change. It's almost dinner time and I'm sure everyone is ready to eat." It was less than ten minutes before everyone was ready to go. John opened all of the doors to his jeep and watched as everyone piled in. Mrs. South sat in the front passenger seat. Jack sat in the middle of the back seat with Betsy and Jenny on each side of him. He got in the drivers seat and looked in the rear view mirror. Jack looked very happy about the seating arrangements. John couldn't blame him. He was tempted to get out and have Jack drive them. Dinner was a great success. Betsy and Jenny acted as if they were long lost sisters and Mrs. South was the elderly aunt. Jack and John talked through the evening. Jack was excited about the grand opening of their third Soup Shoppe. John was still excited about his funding. Together they worked out an investment plan that would help John buy a house in the near future. John was saving about 30K a year. He wanted to wait three years before buying a house and to buy it outright. He and Jack argued about the tax benefits of a mortgage. John favored the benefits of outright ownership, but Jack convinced him that carrying a small mortgage could make paying property taxes and insurance easier. One minor problem occurred as they were leaving the restaurant. Two young men were trying to wrestle a young lady into an alley near the parking lot. John used his walking stick to get their attention by hitting the backs of their legs. Both immediately fell to the ground as their knees collapsed out from under them. Seeing John with a five foot long pole, and Jack behind him, the two youths lost their nerve and ran off down the alley. Two police officers showed up at the end of the alley and captured the boys. The young lady was quite thankful for her rescue. John and his party left after making a statement to the officers. After the evening out wound down, John and Jack sat in the living room talking. They had settled into that comfortable flow of male conversation that was often punctuated by silences that would drive women crazy. They'd sit there not talking and then one or the other would make a comment about the state of the world. The other would add his comments and they'd lapse into silence again. Both men were comfortable. Jack broke the silence, "Does that happen much?" "Does what happen?" "Showing up at the right time and place to save someone." "Yeah. Just about every day." "Interesting. Does it bother you?" "Not really." The two men lapsed into silence again. Their comfort was interrupted when the two women blew into the room like miniature tornadoes. Jenny announced, "We're going to bed now." Betsy added, "If you're smart, you'll come to bed in ten minutes." "But not before!" The two women left the room amid lots of giggles and elbows. Jack and John watched them leave. They sat there for a minute without saying anything. Finally, John said, "They have something planned for us tonight." "Yep, I wonder what it is." They sat there for a little while longer sipping their drinks. Jack said, "I guess it's about time for us to discover what they're planning." "Yep, we'll know soon enough." The two men got up and headed to their respective bedrooms. They were both shocked when on opening the door, they didn't see the woman they were expecting to see. John was greeted by a totally naked smiling Jenny. She was on her side patting the other side of the bed in an invitation. John smiled, "Oh my, I seem to have the wrong room." Jenny laughed, "No, you have the right room." "I'd better get permission from Betsy and Jack." "Oh, come on. Aren't you afraid that you'll interrupt them?" John shook his head, "I bet Betsy and Jack are having exactly the same conversation right now." Jenny smiled, "She doesn't have you trained right. You are supposed to shut up and start fucking when you find a naked lady in your bed. Didn't she explain that to you?" "I must have missed that lesson," replied John. He opened the door and stuck his head out. Jack, at the other end of the hall, was looking back at him. They smiled at each other. "Is it okay with you?" they both asked at the same time and answered together with, "Okay with me." The two women both shouted out at the same time, "It's okay with me!" John and Jack headed into their respective bedrooms. John was met with a smiling Jenny, "John, you know that we bet Mrs. South that you guys wouldn't do what you just did. She said you would because you are both good men." John laughed, "You should never doubt Mrs. South's assessment of people. She's a shrewd woman." Jenny laughed, "Now get naked, man! I owe you a real good fucking!" John stripped and joined Jenny on the bed. The kisses and caresses were spontaneous and fun. Neither took themselves seriously and the fact that there were no expectations about commitment made it easier from them to relax. There was tickling and laughing. The sexual prowess of the other was called into question in lighthearted teases. There were the noises that bodies make when air is trapped between them. The activities were exactly the opposite of the last time in which they had been in bed. When Jenny asked him to do it doggy style, he started barking. The laughter only slightly interfered with their mutual pleasure. As John and Jenny lay in bed recovering from their orgasms, John stated, "That was a very different experience than the last time." Jenny concurred, "Yes, I got some really good advice and followed it religiously. Jack and I both want to thank you a lot for what you said that evening. We have been exploring our limits and learning as much as we can." "I can tell. You weren't posing for me when I came in." "Yes I was!" "Huh? That wasn't Playmate of the Month waiting for me in bed." "What you saw was Jenny the seductress pose." John laughed, "Okay, I'll accept that. You have any other poses?" "Of course, but you aren't ready for Jenny the slut yet! Almost killed Jack with that one the first time I used it." John laughed, "You've probably got the same set of poses Betsy uses on poor little me." Jenny smiled, "You know, I really like her." "I hoped you would." "She's a real nice person inside. She really cares, if you know what I mean." John nodded. He knew exactly what she meant. That trait attracted him to her. She was very careful when she took his blood during the first blood drive. There wasn't the rush to get the needle in and the blood out. She had stayed and talked to him. He added, "You know, she's a nurse. She takes that caring nature to work with her. I'm amazed at how much of herself she gives to people." "Actually, I knew she had to be a Saint to be with you. I was just worried because all the Saints I ever knew were ugly." "Why would she need to be a saint? I'm not that difficult to live with." Jenny smiled, "There are not many woman who can live with a guy that charges into danger every time something bad starts to happen. If Jack started to do that, I'd break both his legs. His charge would be so slow that the danger would be over by the time he got there!" John was silent for a minute thinking about what Jenny had said. He knew Betsy worried about him, but he couldn't ignore his urges. They were too strong. The worse the situation and the closer it was, the stronger the urge became. He frowned, "Do you think she worries about me?" "Of course she does. I'm sure that every time something bad happens around you, a little part of her dies. She cares for you very much and wouldn't like to see you hurt." "Did Betsy talk to you about this?" "No. She didn't need to tell me anything. I saw how she reacted when you went after the two punks earlier this evening. She was terrified. Hell, Jack didn't even have a chance to join in and I was scared to death for him." John thought about how Betsy acted after something particularly violent happened. Often those nights she wouldn't come over to the house. He wondered if she was at home crying or if she was angry with him. The only one that could help him was Mrs. South. She and Betsy talked regularly about topics that he was excluded from knowing about. He suggested, "She met me in the hospital and saw the injuries." Jenny shook her head, "Which injuries? The burn on your leg, that cut down your back, the bullet hole in your shoulder, the cut on your leg, the bullet hole in your arm, or that little scratch you've got bandaged on your leg?"" "She was there when I got the burn and the cuts on my back and leg." "And the bandage?" "Oh, that was a gunshot wound that I got the other day. It's a flesh wound." Jenny shook her head, " I'd have gone ballistic if Jack came home with a gunshot wound. I'm glad I'm not Betsy. I'm not your girlfriend, but I have to tell you that I'm worried about you. You're a mass of scars." "I guess I better talk to Betsy and see how she feels about what has been happening to me." Jenny waited for a minute and then giggled, "Until then, why don't we see how many times you can make me cum?" It was two hours later that an exhausted John laid back on the bed amazed at the stamina Jenny exhibited. He had licked her until his tongue was numb. His fingers were worn out. His cock was rubbed raw. Still, she kept going and going. After a dozen orgasms or more, she still wanted more. He was tempted to get Jack in the room to help him. ------- Chapter 14 John leaned against his walking stick waiting for Mr. Jensen to settle into his chair. It was an old chair; one that had been repaired many times yet remained functional and level. The yard was neatly trimmed and free of weeds. The grass was green despite the time of year. The porch was clean; he swept it every morning with a broom that looked as old as he. The house was in good repair. John had watched him paint the outside of the house last summer. For a man in his seventies, he was still very active. "Oh, John. I didn't see you there." "I was just waiting for you to get settled, Mr. Jensen." "Call me Jim." "Sure Mr. Jensen." "I had to try. You're too polite for these times. A kid called me old fart this morning. I guess I prefer Jim to Mr. Jensen and Mr. Jensen to old fart." John laughed, "I hope you hit the kid with your cane!" "Nah, he was just a young punk raised by irresponsible parents. Can't teach them manners once they reach a certain age." "I must agree with you on that, sir." Jim assessed John, "Your parents did well with you." "Thank you, sir. I must admit there were times that it must have been rough for them." "Kids are still kids. Never saw a perfect parent-child relationship. The kids want to grow up and the parents want them to stay kids. That's always a recipe for conflict." "True." John readjusted his stance a little impatiently. Mr. Jensen noticed, "So why are you stopping here to talk to this old fart, anyway?" John laughed, "Old fart indeed. You're twice as spry as a man half your age. I stopped by because I need to ask a favor of you." "Ask away," responded Jim. He liked the idea of being useful and appreciated John thinking he could ask him for something. One of the greatest tragedies of growing old was being treated as if you were useless. "Well, I'm wanting to do some electrical work on the house where I'm living. You know, the wiring is close to 60 years old. Modern appliances have plugs that don't fit sockets. The front light should be changed to allow it to come on by detecting motion. Just a number of things like that." "Sounds to me that you have a handle on it." "Not really, I know what isn't right. I don't know how to make it right. So," John paused, "I was wondering if you could give me advice and watch over me. Make sure that I don't make any major mistakes that could burn down the house." Jim sat back and stroked his chin for a minute, "I guess you know I was a licensed electrician at one time." "You know, I do recall you telling me that fact once upon a time." "Sure, John. I'll do it for you. You help everyone around here all of the time. I suppose a little turn about is fair play." "I can offer you $10 an hour cash. It'll add a little something to your pension. Might be able to take some girl out for an early dinner and a movie." Mr. Jensen laughed, "Dinner and a movie? Young man, I take my women to the submarine races." "What are those?" "Well, it is a very special kind of date. You drive her up to a quiet place along a river and tell her you are there for the submarine races. Since submarines race under water, there isn't much to see. So that leaves lots of time for other things, if you know what I mean." "So I take it you're still active?" Mr. Jensen laughed, "Ever hear of Viagra, boy?" "So you get many dates?" "Nah, old women turn into a bunch of prudes. You'd think they were all virgins by the way they act." John smiled as he thought about his landlord. She definitely wasn't a prude. He asked, "So you'll help me?" "Sure thing and don't worry about the money. Having something to do is reward enough." "If you say so. Can you come by the house tomorrow around 11?" "Sure," replied Mr. Jensen. John gave him the address and reconfirmed the time. He turned towards home walking in a happy manner. Finally, he would be able to plug in his computer and have the front porch light turn itself on when he got home late at night. Those were reasons enough to have Mr. Jensen help him. Returning to the house, he told Mrs. South that he had asked a man to help him do some work around the house. He gave her the time Mr. Jensen would arrive. He stated that he would be returning from the university in time to meet him there. The next morning, John sat in his office watching the clock. A few minutes before eleven, he called Mrs. South and told her he would be arriving a little late. He asked if she could take care of Mr. Jensen until he arrived. He waited another fifteen minutes and then headed home. He entered the house to find Mrs. South, Betsy, and Mr. Jensen having coffee at the table. He poured a cup of coffee and joined them. The conversation turned to the work that John wanted to do around the house. Mrs. South made a couple of other suggestions, including adding a dimmer switch to the lights in the living room. She made a remark about wanting to be able to set a more romantic environment. Betsy seconded the remark. John and Mr. Jensen went around the house examining all of the outlets and coming up with a list of parts to purchase. John asked Mr. Jensen if he would come back Saturday and help him do the installation. Mr. Jensen readily agreed. John and Betsy left the house together. John dropped her off at the blood bank before heading back to his lab to finish his work there. He felt pleased with himself for introducing Mr. Jensen and Mrs. South. Even Betsy didn't know what he had planned. He even had left them alone without it looking obvious. Saturday morning, John was in the hospital burn unit reading stories to the children. There was a new girl in the unit this week and she was having a miserable time. Her name was Mary and she was sixteen years of age. John was very familiar with her case, as he was the one who had rescued her from the fire. He entered her room after reading to the younger kids and addressed her, "Hello Mary." "Am I supposed to thank you for saving me?" spat out Mary in anger. She could see that she had lost her beauty. The burn had ravaged her face. "No, you aren't," replied John in a manner that was completely unperturbed by her anger. He could see the pain in her and recognized it for what it was. She now believed that she was an ugly woman. His answer and manner surprised her. She queried, "Huh?" "You asked me if you were supposed to thank me for saving you. I said that you weren't." He smiled at her. "You don't expect to be thanked?" she asked. She had rehearsed this scene a thousand times in her head and it wasn't playing out as she had intended. "I don't expect it. In fact, I don't deserve it." "Why? You saved my life!" "Did I?" "I'm still alive!" John smiled, "Good, I had my doubts." "I don't understand you," Mary blurted. She was totally off balance by this entire conversation. "I am sorry. Let's try starting this conversation over again," answered John. He smiled and nodded his head, "Hello Mary." Much less argumentative this time, she replied, "Hello John." "Are you feeling better today than yesterday?" "I guess," replied Mary rather guardedly. She was trying to figure out what he was attempting to achieve with this visit. "Good, I remember when I was in here. Every day was a little better than the one before. Of course, sometimes you have a little negative progress. I guess that's to be expected though." "You were in here before?" She hadn't realized that he was once a patient here and probably understood her situation better than she. It was even more remarkable that he would run into a fire to rescue her if he had already experienced what it was like to be burned. "Oh yeah, I was a patient. Didn't stay long, but I like to come back and read stories to the kids every Saturday when I'm in town." "You're that John?" She had heard about John from the other kids, but had not recognized that the John adored by the kids here was the same John that had saved her from the fire. "I guess I'm that John." "Why did you come to see me?" "Nurse Betty said that you were feeling down. So I came by to see why." Mary looked away for several minutes. When she looked back, there were tears running down her cheeks. In a very small voice, she stated, "I'm ugly now." "Do you think the kids in that other room are monsters?" "Not really. They are all great kids. Every one of them has been by here to cheer me up." "So why are you harder on yourself than on them?" He looked at her for a minute and then added, "Don't answer that now. Think about it and tell me your answer the next time I'm here." "I will." "Goodbye Mary, I'll see you next Saturday." "Goodbye." There was no need for John and Mary to ever talk about that subject again. She would come to understand that she wouldn't have the great looks of some women. She would also discover that things weren't impossible for a real life afterwards. She would soon meet other girls her age that had been through the burn unit in the past. John arrived home much later than he had told Mr. Jensen that he would be there. It wasn't a problem, as Mr. Jensen and Mrs. South had become quite friendly. John found them in the kitchen drinking coffee and talking. He poured himself a cup and sat down at the table. He stated, "Please excuse my tardiness. I was hung up at the hospital. Poor Mary is feeling quite ugly and unloved." Mr. Jensen, unaware of the history, asked, "Why?" "Forgive me. I rescued Mary from a fire earlier this week. She was quite badly burned. She is sixteen and that is an age where beauty is more important than life. I go to the hospital every Saturday and read to the kids in the burn unit. The nurse on duty told me that Mary was very upset, so I went in to talk to her." Mr. Jensen stated, "That's very nice of you to do those kinds of things. I was telling this pretty lady that you are a good young man. I guess I didn't even know half of it." Mrs. South added, "Do you know that many people call you Hero?" John shook his head, "I know and I've tried to stop it, but they continue to do it anyway. It's quite disgraceful really. So many people are heroes, yet no one notices it. If I'm there, everyone goes wow look at what he did!" Mr. Jensen winked at Mrs. South, "Well, Vicky and I were discussing all of your activities. You're quite a busy young man, you know. So we decided that I would do the electrical repairs around the house and give you a chance to visit your girlfriend." "Mr. Jensen, there's no need for you to do all of that work. I just need you to show me what I'm supposed to do." Mr. Jensen laughed, "Boy, you thought you had us fooled. I know you're fully capable of doing the work yourself. Hell, you probably know more about electronics than anyone I've ever met. I saw all your books on the subject the other day when we checking out the outlets." John looked around the table at the smiling faces of Mr. Jensen and Mrs. South. He knew that he had been caught, "Well, I guess I do know a little about the subject." Mrs. Smith interjected, "Besides, Betsy told us that you knew how to wire up a house. She's seen you working in your lab." "Oh, she said that?" Mr. Jensen laughed, "Yeah, right about the time we all figured you were trying to set us up." "Oh, and I was so proud of myself for being subtle." "It was pretty smooth." "I hope you're not made at me." Mrs. South laughed, "We figured that if you went to that much trouble, you had to have a reason. It took us a while to figure out why." Mr. Jensen laughed, "Yeah, I wasn't about to admit that it was because I was a horny old goat." "Or that I was a randy slut looking to get laid." "I wouldn't have put it that way. I just felt you both were still interested in many of the same things," answered John. He was rather embarrassed because that reflected his thinking at the time accurately. "Oh, like what?" John desperately tried to think of something. The only thing that came to mind quickly was sex, but they had to have more in common than that. He blurted out, "Gardening!" "I hate gardening." "Same here." "But you both do it all of the time." Mr. Jensen laughed, "Hey, if you are old and your garden looks nice, no one figures you're actually a pervert!"The discussion was interrupted by the arrival of Betsy. She looked exceptionally nice that morning. She was wearing a forest green dress that set off her green eyes and complemented her brown hair. The dress was low cut and if she bent over, she flashed a very nice view of her breasts -- breasts that were unhindered by a bra. The dress came down to just above the knee. Her legs had the sheen suggesting they were encased in real silk stockings. She wore green high heals that showed her legs to best advantage, not too high so that she couldn't walk yet high enough to shape her calves. She looked stunning. John took one look and exclaimed, "Wow!" "You like?" "I love!" His cock reacted to the sight she presented as she leaned over the table to look in his eyes. "Well, I heard that you had an unexpected afternoon off. I came by to see if there was anything that I could do to fill it." John smiled, "Are you willing to stand there all day so that I can stare at you?" She swayed a little which caused her breasts to rub against the material of the dress. The action caused her nipples to get even more erect. She retorted, "Oh, you might want to watch me in action!" "Are you suggesting that I might get to participate?" "Maybe, maybe not." Mrs. South interrupted the easy banter, "Would you two get out of here? I've got some needs that require attention right now!" Betsy leaned whispered into Mrs. South's ear, "I'll take him in the bedroom. I don't want to go outside." Mrs. South frowned and whispered back, "Why?" "You know, he tends to get involved in big troubles. Do you know how many dates we've had ruined by him rescuing someone and then having to talk to the police for an hour afterwards?" Mrs. South smiled as she thought back to some of the events she had seen with John Carter. She knew that he would get into something if he left the house. He usually did. She turned to Mr. Jensen, "Hey, did you say something about submarine races being held today?" Betsy looked surprised, "Submarine races?" Mr. Jensen smiled, "Yes, we can probably get there before they start!" Betsy thought about it for a moment and then stated to John, "Maybe we can watch the submarine races. I didn't even know they had them!" John laughed, "I tell you what, we'll go to lunch and then a matinee. We'll come home and watch the races on television." Betsy thought about it and decided that the chances were slim that something would happen. Reluctantly she agreed, "Okay, that sounds good. Maybe we'll see you two on television!" Mrs. South laughed, "I really doubt it dear, I really doubt it." John and Betsy left the house. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the air was warm, and the birds were singing. A contrail from a jet painted a white line across the blue sky. They decided to walk to Momma Mia's Italian Restaurant. It was less than five minutes from the house. Betsy appeared not to notice how nice the day was. As she walked, her eyes darted back and forth as if she expected a fire, shootout, or earthquake. John noticed the tension in Betsy and recognized the reason for her high level of stress. He was going to say something to her. However, he realized nothing he said would help. All that he could hope for was the chance that nothing would happen. They arrived at the restaurant without a traumatic event occurring. The transition from the bright outdoors to the darkness within the restaurant required a moment for their eyes to adjust. The owner, well practiced at making people feel at ease, waited until their eyes could see before greeting them with great affection. He knew the pair very well and expected one day that John would make his proposal to Betsy in his restaurant. He led them to their special table in the back corner. It was quiet, dark, and secluded there. John helped Betsy into her seat and then slid into his. John looked around the table and spotted the candelabra. He commented, "Ah, something new?" The owner smiled and nodded, "You are not the only ones that come here seeking a little romantic meal. However, romance needs privacy, as it is most intimate. Therefore, we have added a candelabra and a privacy curtain." Betsy made a fanning motion with the menu as if she were hot. Talking as if she were a southern belle, she cooed, "I'm afraid that man will want to take liberties with me if you close the curtain." "Close it now, so I can paddle her behind." "Is that a promise?" "Sure!" The owner laughed, "So will it be your regular meals for lunch?" "Sure." "Of course." "I shall return soon, my little lovers." Betsy and John watched him walk off with a smile. She reached over and took his hand. She pulled it onto her thigh, so he could feel the garters there. His cock immediately twitched. He traced the garter up and down her thigh. She smiled at the look on his face. She leaned over and whispered, "I'm not wearing any panties." Her statement had the desired effect. John adjusted his pants to allow his cock the freedom to get erect without causing further pain. He hated it when his cock got caught in the leg of his boxers. It embarrassed him when he had to adjust himself like that in public. He often felt that nature was unfair in how obvious it made the arousal of a man. Betsy smiled, "Don't you hate it when your cock gets stuck in the down position when it wants to be in the up position?" "You witch! Casting a horrible spell upon me when all I want to do is feed you." "Feed me? Don't you mean all you want to do is feel me?" "Now I do!" She laughed while he groaned. The owner made his way to the table with their lunches. He overheard the laugh and the groan. He stated, "Either it was a very bad joke or someone is frustrated!" John answered with a twinkle in his eye, "It was a bad joke that has left me frustrated!" "Ah, the best kind." He set the plates in front of them. The two looked at their meals and smiled at the fantastic food. The aroma of the food teased their nostrils. He always had the chicken parmesan and she always ate the stuffed shells. The food was always excellent. John looked up at the owner and stated, "It looks wonderful as always." The owner took out a wine bottle and presented it to the couple. He stated, "I have gone to extreme lengths to find the perfect accompaniment for your meal. I have a great sparkling grape juice. No alcohol!" John smiled, "You are too much!" The owner smiled as he opened the bottle. It made a nice little pop. He poured two glasses and stated, "This bottle is on the house!" They raised their glasses in a toast. John said, "To love." They took a sip, surprised at the taste. It was unlike any grape juice they had ever tasted. John stated, "Wow, this is amazing! Very good." The owner smiled, "I special ordered it. I wanted something for those of you who avoid alcohol and ruin a perfect meal like this with iced tea!" John stated, "You have succeeded wonderfully." The owner lit the candles on the candelabra. They cast a flickering pool of light on the table. He stepped back and closed the curtains saying, "Just open the curtains when you need something and I'll return. Until then, enjoy your food and privacy." As the owner walked away, they could hear him mutter, "I hope that he proposes to her. You can tell that they love each other very much." John and Betsy looked at each other. The candlelight on her green eyes made them glow. John could see tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She sniffed and sadly stated, "Don't ask me now. I'd have to say no." John looked at her with concern. He didn't truly understand how she could love him and yet not want to marry him. He knew that his frequent brushes with significant harm bothered her. Rather than confront her, he comforted her, "I understand, my dear. Let's eat this wonderful meal."She smiled appreciatively. They ate in relative silence. John's hand frequently returned to her thigh to run up and down it, tracing the outline of the garter. It was having the desired effect on Betsy. Her nipples started to tent the front of her dress. His actions were also having an effect on him. His cock was straining against his tight pants. It took some time, but they finished their meal. They sat together, each touching the other with the intent to increase the passions of the other. John's hand continued to trace the garter. Each time his hand moved up the thigh, he pushed the bottom of her dress upwards. Her beautiful legs were slowly being exposed. Finally, the hem of her dress rose above the top of her stockings. John traced the top of the stockings with a single finger. His hand slowly moved back and forth along her inner thigh. She parted her legs to make it easier for him to touch her. Betsy's hand was busy slowly tracing the outline of his cock. His cock was quite rigid and throbbed under the teasing touch. He wanted his cock freed to where it could be touched more directly. Betsy, smiling knowingly, reached under her skirt with her other hand. She ran a finger over her cunt coating it with her feminine juices. She took the same finger and ran it lightly over John's lips. As he caught her scent, he almost came from the excitement. He growled, "Let's pay and get back to the house." She cooed back, "What's your hurry?" He leaned back and then answered in a deep commanding voice, "I want to get down between your legs and lick you until you are drenched. I want to touch, kiss, and lick your nipples until they swell to bursting. I want to take you to levels of ecstasy never before obtained by a woman." She giggled, "You better pay!" John threw back the curtain as Betsy arranged her dress into a more respectable position. The owner showed up immediately, "May I help you?" John croaked out as Betsy's hand returned to his crotch, "The bill please!" The owner handed the bill over directly. He had it prepared in advance, anticipating the request. John pulled out his wallet and paid the balance with a nice twenty-five percent tip. The owner stepped away from the table as John and Betsy stood up almost simultaneously. John grabbed Betsy by the hand as they hurried out of the restaurant. The owner smiled as he watched them leave. The smile hid his disappointment that John had not proposed to Betsy. They reached the house in record time. Both were in a state of sexual excitement. Betsy had taken the opportunity to flash her bare bottom at John on several occasions. She couldn't believe the thrill that raced through her at the public exposure. John couldn't believe his fortune in having such a sexy young woman interested in him. They threw open the door and launched themselves into the house. John had his hands around Betsy's waist and was trying to pull her back into him so that she could feel his excitement. They both suddenly stopped as they looked at a naked Mrs. South on her knees giving an equally naked Mr. Jensen a blowjob. The older pair barely acknowledged the presence of the younger pair. Betsy grabbed John's hand and stated, "Way to go girl!" The younger pair raced down the hallway to enjoy their afternoon together. They shed their clothes, dropping items as they moved down the hall. John was naked as the door to his room shut behind him. Betsy was wearing stockings and a garter belt. The sexual teasing over lunch and on the walk home had the desired effect on both of them. It wasn't long before they were busy pleasuring each other. ------- Chapter 15 John sat back and hit a carriage return on the computer saving the data from the current experiment. He smiled as he examined the experimental apparatus. He was satisfied that he had finally finished taking data. It was the last run of the experiment. There was more than enough data to explain the effects of light upon liquid droplets. He shutdown the laptop and closed it. Leaning back in his chair, he considered the next steps to take in becoming Dr. Carter. In a few days he would leave town and then begin writing his dissertation. He felt like it would only take him a couple of months to finish it. All of the data analysis had already been completed and the results were very interesting. His dissertation wouldn't be long, but it would constitute a valuable contribution. His professor and other committee members were already suitably impressed with his work. He would graduate within the next year and that fact actually represented a significant problem for him. He had a lifetime of funding. The question was where would he go to from here. He knew he couldn't stay in Austin and live any kind of private life. He was known to almost everyone in town and people reacted to his presence in one of two ways. Either they ran to him to thank him or they ran away in fear that something awful was going to happen to them if they stayed. If he left, what would he do about Betsy? She wasn't about to leave here and travel from place to place like a gypsy. He knew that he couldn't stay much longer in Austin and he didn't want to leave her behind. He guessed it was time to talk to Mrs. South again. She would give him good advice. He packed up his laptop computer and set it to the side. When he was ready to leave town, he'd come by and pick it up. For now, it would be safe in his office. All of the equipment in the lab was off. He could leave now, but he felt compelled to just stay where he was. Glancing at the desk, he noticed the cold fusion paper in the customary spot. He picked it up and read it again. Again, his mind turned to the problem of what geological process could create a cold fusion reaction. He decided that once he had become Dr. Carter, he would work on this problem. He wouldn't have to justify his time to anyone since he was fully funded. He felt the urge to leave and set the paper back in the customary spot. Four years of reading this paper and he was no closer to a solution. He left the room carrying his walking stick. He took his time locking the door. The hallway was empty, but he could hear the professors giving lectures in the classrooms. He smiled as he watched a professor explain the right-hand rule to a class of undergraduates. Anyone, except a physicist, would think the guy had lost his mind by the way he was moving his hands. He opened the door leading out of the building only to run into Officer Rickert. Office Rickert stopped, "Hello John, I was on my way to see you." "You were?" "Yes, I wanted to talk to you about something." John nodded, "Do you mind if we walk while we talk?" "No problem." The two men headed towards the center of the campus. John broke the silence by asking, "Have you noticed that things seem to be a lot more violent in town lately?" "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. We've been watching you for a while now and we've noticed that the violence seems to center around you." "What do you mean?" "I mean that you show up and bad things happen." John nodded as he listened. He replied, "Do you think I'm causing them?" "No. We know better than that. The reason we've been following you is that we know bad things will happen. We can see that you are not causing them, but you seem to go to where they occur." Officer Rickert walked along for a moment before adding, "We've been wondering if you are actually the target." "Me?" "Yes, you. It seems like amongst all of the normal activities, there are a few that seemed to be targeted at you specifically. Everyone else that is hurt is an innocent bystander that is being used as bait. They are hurt just to keep you in the area. In the last shootout that you were around, the majority of bullets were aimed at you." "You know that if I came to you with that proposition, you'd say that I was going paranoid," laughed John. He countered, "Probably the reason the majority of shots were in my direction was because I was exposed the most." "Hey, you were unarmed and not shooting at them. They should have been shooting at us, not you." John walked along for a minute without saying a word. Finally, he asked, "What do you recommend?" "You might want to get out of town for a while." "Are you asking me to leave?" "Only suggesting that you might want to leave before you get hurt. If there is some kind of evil force after you, then it might be wise to hide from it for a while." John was about to reply when a shot rang out. He looked around and saw a kid lying on the ground in an open area. He dropped his walking stick and charged out to the kid's location. As he approached, he could tell that the kid was wounded in the leg. More shots rang out and dirt kicked up around him. He grabbed the kid and pulled him behind a water fountain. The whole time more shots were fired. He ducked down behind the fountain and ripped his shirt. He quickly put a tourniquet around the kid's leg above the bullet wound. He looked up and saw another person fall to the ground. Officer Rickert ran out and pulled the woman to a safe location. No shots were fired. After a short quiet, another shot rang out and another person fell. It was a woman. John ran to her and pulled her to a safe location. More shots had been fired as he had run to her. He felt a sting in his leg, but ignored it while dealing with the woman. He examined her and saw she had been shot in the abdomen. She had lost consciousness. The only thing that would save her was pressure on the wound until an ambulance arrived. He pulled off her shirt and used it to press down on the wound. Although it might have embarrassed her in other circumstances, she wasn't in shape to notice. John noted to himself that it was good that she had been wearing a bra. He looked out around the post behind which they were hiding. Another shot rang out which was quickly followed by a barrage of pistol shots. He could tell by the sounds of the shots that it was the police taking out the shooter. He heard Officer Rickert call out, "All clear, get those ambulances in here." John shouted, "I've got a bad one here. A woman has been shot in the abdomen and there's lots of blood. The one by the fountain has a leg wound with a tourniquet on it. He can wait a minute, this one can't!" His surroundings darkened as a large shape cast a shadow over him. He looked up in time to hear, "Hero! Looks like you saved another one." "Hi Harry. Take care of her. I'll go over to the fountain until someone else shows up. The kid over there is probably very scared," he watched as Harry took over for him. He was always amazed at how confidently and calmly Harry was able to work. "Sure thing, Hero. You might want to get treated yourself. Looks like you took another one in the leg," replied Harry. "Oh shit, I didn't even notice." "I know, you never do." John went over to the fountain and found the kid sitting with his back against the wall. He checked the tourniquet and sat down next to the kid. He stated, "How are you doing?" "My leg hurts and I'm scared shitless. Other than that, I'm fine." "Good," replied John. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pocketknife. Opening it, he cut his pants to expose his own wound. It was a simple in and out wound in the fleshy part of his calf. It wasn't bleeding that bad, so he knew it hadn't hit anything vital. He glanced over at the kid, "You'll be alright now. Harry is over there with the ambulance. He'll take the woman there to the hospital. Before then, another ambulance will be here. They'll take care of you." The kid started shaking, "How can you be so calm?" "Easy, it's not my first time getting shot." Officer Rickert walked over to John and sat down next to him. He handed over the walking stick that John had dropped when he charged after the first victim. John looked like hell. Having lost his shirt, the scars on the upper half of his body stood out. One pant leg was missing where he had cut it off. More scars were visible. Officer Rickert looked over at the kid and asked, "Are you okay?" The kid nodded his head, but he looked very pale. John looked at him and stated, "Hey lie down and rest your feet up on my good leg. You're going into shock. Don't worry, it's a natural reaction to what you've been through." The kid did as John had told him. Officer Rickert shook his head at the care John showed the kid. He stated, "The press is here." "Damn." He didn't want to deal with the press. They had taken to following him around in hopes of catching a good news story. It looked like they had been lucky today. "Don't worry, we won't let them anywhere near you." "Thanks. I couldn't handle them right now." Officer Rickert sat there for a minute as he watched the emotions on John's face. He then asked, "Did you think about what we were discussing earlier?" "I haven't had much time to do any thinking, but I' believe you're right. Who ever it was, shot at me almost the entire time. Didn't even shoot in your direction when you went out and got that woman. He only shot someone else when I wasn't available," answered John. He thought about the advice Officer Rickert had given him. He continued, "I was planning on leaving town in a few days anyway. I think I'll leave town tomorrow." "That's good to hear. I'm glad you're leaving." Officer Rickert looked up and saw the ambulance coming. He nudged John, "Here comes George." "George is okay. He's very methodical." "Isn't that another way of saying slow?" laughed the policeman. George was often the butt of jokes within EMS circles. George recited the procedures for everything he did while he worked. The ambulance stopped and the driver got out. George walked around the front and exclaimed, "Hero! Nice to see you again." "Hi George. Take care of the kid first. He's going into shock and has a tourniquet on his leg." "No problem," replied George. He went to work on the kid while the driver got out the gurney. George worked slowly and carefully. He had a habit of talking to himself as he worked. Usually, his monologue was a recitation of the steps that were to be taken. John looked over at Officer Rickert and laughed at the look on his face. He joked, "You get to ride in the back with him!" "Did anyone ever tell you that you weren't a nice person?" John nodded, "Don't worry, I'll ride to the hospital with them. You've probably got a ton of paperwork to fill out." Officer Rickert stood and replied, "Don't remind me. You have it easy. You get to be hero and then leave. I have to stay and fill out reports." The driver came over to John and looked at the bandage over the wound. John had wrapped it with the part of the jeans he had cut off. He asked, "Is your first aid good enough to get you to the hospital?" "As always." "Well, I'll let you ride up front with me. I'll appreciate the company and the fact that I won't have to listen to him talk to himself." John laughed, "I know what you mean. I've dealt with him before." Officer Rickert started to walk away and then turned, "Give my regards to Betsy. I'm sure she'll be meeting you at the hospital." John frowned and called out to the back of the retreating policeman, "I doubt it. I probably won't see her for a day or two. She gets upset when I get injured." George and the driver finished loading the kid into the ambulance. John hobbled over to the passenger side and climbed in. His wounded leg had stiffened up. At least he had the walking stick on which to lean to keep the weight off his leg. The driver got in and buckled up. John smiled, "Onward James!" The ride to the hospital was uneventful. John watched as they unloaded the kid. Another ambulance pulled up with the final victim of the shooting, the shooter himself. John slowly eased out and walked into the hospital behind everyone else. A doctor was waiting for him, "Come on John. Time to stitch you up again." "Thanks doc. You guys take such good care of me. Everyone else getting treated?" "Yes. The woman is being rushed into surgery right now. She should do okay. You did a good job again." "Thanks, but most of the credit should go to Harry and George. They did all of the real work." "Right, you keep saying things like that and one of these years some one might believe you." Their discussion was interrupted by a load yell, "Where's that boyfriend of mine?" John recognized the voice. It was Betsy. John looked around searching for her. He waved her over happy that she had come down to see him. He called out, "I'm over here." She marched up and looked at him. John couldn't place the funny expression on her face. It was a confusing mixture of emotions that definitely looked more angry than caring. She asked, "Are you okay?" "Yes, it's just a flesh wound." "Good," she replied and then slapped him across the face. At that moment, she lost all control, "How dare you get shot again? One of these days you're going to get killed. What am I supposed to do then? If you ever do that again, I'll kill you myself." "Now Betsy, calm down," stuttered John. He rubbed the cheek that had been slapped. It stung more than the bullet wound. He wasn't sure if it was the slap that hurt or that Betsy was so mad at him. "Don't tell me to calm down! I know all about it already. It was on the news. I watched the whole damn thing on the news. Can you imagine how I felt as I watched you running around being shot at? Don't answer me because you can't fucking imagine it. You are never to do that again! Do you hear me, you fucker? Don't answer me! You'll just tell me that you can't help yourself! You bastard, you are killing me. Did you know that? No you didn't!" John watched in shock as Betsy proceeded to yell at him for a full five minutes. She was clearly hysterical. He was at a complete loss as to what he should do. She was suddenly rendered quiet when a friend of hers came up behind her and administered a shot that dropped her like a rock. Several hours later, John had been sewed up and Betsy had returned to consciousness. He had borrowed a hospital gown to wear in place of the shirt that he had used as a tourniquet. Once he had cleaned himself up, John tried to visit Betsy but he was turned away by one of her friends. He was told that she had left instructions that he wasn't to be allowed to see her. He waited outside for her, but she never showed up. He went back in and asked for her, but was informed that she had left already. He finally gave up and left. A taxi took him to the university where he picked up his car. He took off the hospital gown and replaced it with a spare shirt that he carried in his car. He now kept spare clothes because experience had taught him that he was likely to loose a shirt or pair of pants due to unforeseen circumstances. He kept the pants he was wearing despite one leg having been cut off. Ten minutes of driving through late evening traffic and he arrived at the house. He sat in the car for fifteen minutes. He was in a state that was close to grief at the implications of Betsy's behavior. He was losing her and he couldn't think of anything to do to stop it. Getting control of his emotions, he went into the house. He was greeted at the door by Mrs. South. She didn't look very happy. He looked at her and stated, "Bad day. I think Betsy is gone." "Probably." "Did you talk to her?" Mrs. South answered, "She was here when the news came on. The news showed you dragging that person to the water fountain. We were watching it when you were shot. She was furious when you continued to help other people rather than take care of yourself. She said that dumping you while you were alive was better than watching you die." John sank down onto the sofa in great despair. He had not wanted to hear that from Mrs. South. She confirmed his worst fears. Every time the subject of marriage came up, Betsy firmly resisted the idea. He knew she didn't want to become a young widow. He looked up at her and asked, "Is there anything that I can do to get her back?" "You can quit being a hero." "That's impossible." The flat tone of his voice brooked no argument. He stated it as though it were a fact as undeniable as gravity. Mrs. South looked at him as if she was studying some sort of new specimen. She had seen him perform some amazing rescues and could see that he wasn't doing anything other than being himself. She sat down in the chair across from him. She stated, "You're telling the truth. You can't stop doing it." "I had a Geas placed upon me." "What is that?" "It is a holy command from the Goddess. I must obey it or something really bad will happen," replied John. He rubbed his chest where the medallion weighed heavily and thought back to his experience in the woods. That was when it all started and it wasn't clear that it was ever going to end. He was sure that too much more violence would lead to his death eventually. "You really believe that?" She had never understood his talk about gods and goddesses. He never hid the fact that he was Pagan, but she never saw him do anything that looked sinful. In fact, he was one of the best men that she had ever encountered. If he were Catholic, she believed he would end up being a saint. She was a good Christian woman and as far as she was concerned, there was only one God. "I know it for a fact. I didn't always have a beard that was two thirds white. It went white the day the Geas was placed upon me." Mrs. South was quiet for several minutes as she thought about what he had said. She remembered the story of Moses on the Mount. His hair had turned white after interacting with God. Maybe there was a little truth to his story. She asked, "Have you talked about that with Betsy?" "I don't talk about the experience. I've just told you more than I've told anyone else." "You told me nothing." John sat there for a while staring at the floor. In a very quiet voice, he stated, "I'm leaving town tomorrow." Mrs. South looked surprised, "What? You aren't going to talk to Betsy?" "I have no time. It has become essential that I leave. The violence has been increasing and it looks like I'm the target. Being here places everyone in danger." Mrs. South's expression became troubled. If she understood correctly, he felt like he was the cause of the violence. She wondered if he was becoming paranoid. Perhaps all of the violence had taken a toll on his mind. She questioned him, "What makes you think that?" "Actually, it was Officer Rickert who pointed it out to me. He was there to ask me to leave town. He thought that something was hunting me. He thinks all of these shootouts have been designed to keep me out in the open where I can get killed." "What do you think?" John shook his head, "I don't know. For the first three and a half years that I've been here, I've treated heart attacks, traffic accidents, and other minor situations. Suddenly, in the last six months I've been in a dozen shootouts. I've been shot seven times. Something has changed. My body has become a mass of scars suddenly and I don't like it." When he had put it in those terms, she believed that he was right about leaving town. She voiced her agreement, "I think you're right. You do need to leave town." John took a deep breath and exhaled. He was tired. This kind of tired went beyond the physical. He was emotionally, spiritually, and mentally tired. He looked up at Mrs. South and studied her for a minute. He asked, "Could you talk to Betsy about this?" Mrs. South answered, "I wouldn't know what to say. She's very mad at you." "Yeah, I know. However, she isn't mad at you. At least you would get a chance to tell her a few things." "That is true." "So you will talk to her for me?" "Yes, I will. I'll let her know why you are leaving." John stood up. He headed towards the hallway, "I'm going to get some sleep. We'll talk more in the morning." Mrs. South watched him leave. He was limping slightly. Still, he carried himself well. She thought about what he had told her and his concerns. After hearing him express them, she couldn't help but agree with him. He was a danger to everyone around him. It was true that the violence had escalated dramatically recently. How much longer would it be before someone attacked this house directly? The sad thing was that he was a nice young man. He was always helpful in times of need, even when the person he was helping didn't know it. He never asked for thanks and never expected anything in return. He never boasted about what he had done. He had given her three of the greatest gifts that an elderly woman could imagine. He had changed her life from waiting to die, to looking forward to tomorrow. He had brought action to a life that had long been stagnant and now encompassed Friday dinners and young visitors. He had introduced her to her current boyfriend. She was more worried about Betsy. The poor girl had broken down crying as she watched the news report earlier. She oscillated between furious and scared. It looked like Betsy was getting ready to end the relationship. Nothing that John had said tonight could possibly help mend the break. The poor girl needed to know that John would be safe from harm. She needed the security of having a good man in her life, for the rest of her life. While it was true that no one was guaranteed a long life, it looked like John was doomed to a short one. She couldn't imagine being in Betsy's place. What does a woman do when she loves a man that is in danger on a daily basis? She didn't even have the support structure that the wife of a policeman or fireman would have. She faced the likelihood of his death alone. John closed the door to the bedroom and undressed. He stared at himself in the mirror and hardly recognized the person gazing back at him. He had lost weight over the past six months. His body was scarred and worn. He hadn't lost any of his muscle tone, but the skin looked older than his 30 years. He wondered how Betsy could continue to look fondly upon him. He had become ugly. Moving slowly, he turned off the lights and got onto his sleeping bag on the floor. He fell asleep, but his sleep was disturbed by horrible dreams. He dreamed of his trek across the chasm. Incidents that were forgotten returned. He could feel the bites from bugs as he waded through the swamp. He remembered the feeling of rot between his naked toes. ------- Chapter 16 John watched the sunset while sipping a cup of Greek coffee. He was reflecting upon his current situation. For the most part, he was satisfied with how his life was working out. He really appreciated the break from the constant heroism that he had experienced in Austin. He had gained some of his weight back. His skin tone was much better. He was still a scarred mess and would be for life, but he hadn't gotten any new scars. He was standing on the back porch of the house he had rented for three months. The house had been rented unfurnished and, for the most part, remained that way. He had picked up a desk with a chair and that was in the living room. On the desk were his laptop and a printer. Around the desk were stacks of papers. He slept on the floor in his sleeping bag and used his camping cook set for preparing meals. He lived like a monk, but enjoyed every minute of it. The house was located in a very small town in Arizona where the crime rate was low. The worst that happened in town was the occasional bar brawl. While a brawl might result in black eyes or broken bones, they did not result in deaths. Otherwise, the location was peaceful. Most surprising was that no one had even come by to interrupt him. He had expected the normal nosiness of a small town. Of course, for all he knew they knew everything about him already. A high point of his stay was a nice conversation with Betsy who appreciated the fact that he was living in a much quieter area. She was still upset, but now was cooling off to where they could discuss things. She had stated that she was going overseas as part of a volunteer program that would operate in a refugee camp. It was something that she did every other year and found considerable satisfaction in it. He worried about her traveling to such a dangerous location, but accepted it as something that she needed to do for herself. His dissertation was now half written and would be finished in another month or so. He figured that he would write a first draft and then not read it for a week. Then he would revise it for a second draft. Depending on the quality, he would go through third and fourth drafts before sending it to his professor for review. He had only been here two weeks, but he had worked the entire time without break. He hadn't even taken the time to get to know the neighbors. His only interaction with people had been at the real estate office when he signed the lease and the grocery store when he had stocked up on food sufficient for one month. Tonight he was going to walk into town and meet some of the locals. The sun finally set and he finished the coffee. Returning into the house, he rinsed the cup and set it aside to dry. He grabbed his walking stick and headed out of the house. At the end of the walkway, he heard the distinctive sound of a rattlesnake. He located it under a small bush next to the walkway. With a deft swipe of his walking stick, he lifted the snake and threw it into the street. It slithered away into the darkness. He gave it no further thought. He examined the houses around his place as he slowly strolled towards the center of town. The majority of houses had curtains illuminated by lights from inside. A few were dark. None of the houses had grass lawns. The majority had sand yards that were plain with the exception of a cactus or two. Some yards had religious statues arranged in little shrine-like areas; statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus were common. Houses were either painted white or beige. It was a mixed neighborhood of Hispanics and Whites. He entered the town square that represented the town center. On one side of the square was a squat building the served as the local police station and town hall. Two police cars were parked in front of it. The rest of the square was filled with small stores such as the hardware store, a feed store, a shoe store, two clothing stores, and a bank. There was also a restaurant with a handmade sign advertising homemade pies. A couple of stores down the street was a bar. Not feeling particularly hungry, he decided to try out the bar to get a coke. The inside of the bar lived up to his expectations of a country bar. There was a juke box playing country and western music. In the back was a coin operated pool table. Around the pool table, a couple of men were gathered. One was drinking a beer and twirling a pool cue. Another was walking about the table looking at the placement of the balls. He carried the pool cue with practiced casualness. Another was sitting on a stool smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer. All were wearing blue jeans, boots, and western style shirts. Large belt buckles were the rule rather than the exception. A woman wearing the tightest pair of jeans that John had ever seen sauntered up to the pool table and started a conversation with the men gathered there. Along the side was the bar with tables set in a casual manner in front of it. About a third of the tables were taken. No one was sitting at the bar. Behind the bar, a rather bored looking woman was washing some beer mugs. John decided that he stood a better chance of getting a little conversation if he sat at the bar. Just after seating himself, a strong callused hand came down on his shoulder. John turned and looked at the individual standing next to him. He was a rather large man in his late twenties or early thirties. His skin was tanned dark from many hours of working in the sun. He wore the blue jeans, boots, work shirt, and huge belt buckle that were the norm in this area of the country. The man spoke, "Howdy neighbor!" John replied, "Hello." "You moved in across the street from my place." "Oh. Let me introduce myself. I'm John Carter." John extended his hand. The big man grabbed the hand and replied, "I'm Ed Biggers." "Nice to meet you Ed." "Nice to finally meet you. Let me buy you a drink." The big man offered the drink in a fashion that seemed to be more of a challenge than a friendly gesture. "That would be very nice of you. I'll have a coke." "Coke? What are you? Are you some kind of wimp?" "No. I just don't drink alcohol," replied John in a stern manner. He wondered if things were going to get out of hand. Normally he stopped crises, not created them. Ed Biggers had a tendency to be a bully. Actually, it wasn't a tendency; he was a bully and had been his entire life. He felt a rush as he realized that he had a new victim in town to mock and make life miserable. He shouted out to the bar, "Hey, folks. We got us a wimp. He doesn't drink like a real man. He doesn't even drink a woman's drink. He actually wants a coke without the rum!" The majority of people in the bar burst out laughing at the announcement. A few of the older folks looked away in disgust. It wasn't clear if they disapproved of Ed Biggers or John. John just watched Ed with dispassionate interest. Ed turned to the woman behind the bar, "Hey Shirley, set us up with a couple of whiskeys with beer chasers." John interjected, "Don't forget my coke. Plain with no rum." Shirley looked at both men with a bad feeling in her stomach. She had a very good idea what was going to happen next. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop it, but felt she had to try. She set a whiskey with a beer in front of Ed and a plain coke in front of John. Ed looked at Shirley and stated, "I said a couple. I'm buying the wimp here a man's drink." Shirley shot back, "Ed, don't do this." Ed repeated himself, "I said a couple. Now hop to it little lady before I loose my temper." She relented and set the drinks in front of John. John picked up the shot glass with the whiskey in it. He sniffed it, nodded, and then set it down. He knew there was no way out of this situation except violence. John calmly stated, "I heard that some men drink in the hope that it will make their pecker bigger. I don't know if that's your reason for drinking. Since I'm already hung like a horse, I don't drink in the hope that it will shrink down to the size a woman can handle." John noticed a number of people edging out of the bar. The few that remained were laughing. Shirley edged over to the telephone to call the police. Ed was turning purple. John picked up his coke and took a sip. He decided that if he was going to get in a fight, he might as well satisfy his thirst first. Ed was getting angrier by the moment. Finally, he pulled his right fist back to throw a punch. John beat Ed to the draw by grabbing his balls and squeezing with all of his strength. Ed doubled over in pain while John set his glass of coke down. He calmly asked, "Shirley, how much is the drink?" She looked in delighted glee at the situation in which Ed found himself. Too many nice guys had suffered at the hands of Ed Biggers. She laughed, "It's on the house." "Thanks," replied John as he winked at her. He added, "Have a nice evening." Shirley smiled at him, "I'm having the best evening in a long time already. You take care of yourself." John let go of Ed's balls and picked up his walking stick. Ed remained bent over and breathing hard. John walked to the door and turned back, "Have a nice night, everyone. Even you Ed." John returned home and went to bed. He was disappointed that his first night in town had probably created an enemy. He had no doubts that Ed would try to get even at some point. He decided that he would just be careful and worry about that when the occasion arose. Tomorrow he would return to work on his dissertation. The next morning he was taking a shower when he heard terrified screams coming from outside. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around himself as he raced out of the house. In the front yard of the house next door, a kid was screaming in sheer terror. John raced around to the yard and stopped when he saw the problem. Others came running up and stopped when they saw the problem. The boy was surrounded by rattlesnakes. There were more rattlesnakes gathered in the yard than anyone could ever recollect seeing in one place. How he had walked into the patch of snakes sunning themselves without being bitten was a mystery. Luckily, he was standing still now. Unfortunately, the snakes had become riled. No one moved. Cursing the fact that he had forgotten his walking stick, John took a deep breath and walked into the midst of the snakes. As he walked, an occasional snake would strike. He continued to walk without hesitation to the little boy. When the snake nearest the little boy struck John, he used that moment to pick up the little boy. Once the boy was clear of the snakes, he put him on his shoulders. Calmly, he walked out of the area suffering only a couple of more snake strikes. He hadn't noticed the shots, but six of the snakes along the path were dead. He set the boy down next to a woman who appeared to be his mother. The crowd of people was staring at John. It wasn't clear if they were staring at him for what he had just done or because of all the scars. The towel did little to cover his scars. One man finally broke the silence, "He just walked into there, picked the kid up, and walked back out like it was nothing. Damn." A woman stated, "He must have been bit two dozen times." John turned to the Hispanic woman, "Could you please call the hospital and ask them to have some anti-venom available for me. Gracias." John turned to the crowd and spotted Ed Biggers. He decided that it was time for him and Ed to either become friends or settle it once and for all. He turned to Ed, "Ed, would you please drive me to the hospital?" Ed was stunned. He had never seen anything that brave in his entire life. He had been a ground pounder in the army and had never seen anyone with the array of scars this guy sported. He was shocked that the guy he had tried to fight the night before was putting his life in his hands. He replied, "Sure, I'll get my truck." Ed raced off to get his truck. John spoke to the crowd, "Could someone get me a six foot piece of rope and a very sharp knife?" Once John started making requests that people could easily perform, it was as if the mass paralysis was broken. A couple of people raced away and returned in minutes with the requested items. John used two pieces of rope to create a tourniquet for both legs. He selected the sharpest knife that had been brought, promising to return it later that day. He proceeded to make cuts into the bites. The cuts were single cuts in the direction of the curve of the snake fang. He was quick and efficient about it. He ignored the pain as he worked. A number of other people had raced off to get guns. When a significant number had returned, they lined up in front of the snakes. For the next few minutes, it sounded like a war zone as men shot at snakes. Most of the men had pistols loaded with snake shot. A few had.22 caliber rifles. When Ed pulled up in his truck, John hobbled over to it and got in the passenger's side. Once seated, Ed drove off towards the hospital. John continued his treatment. Some spots were tough to reach, but he did his best. He searched his legs looking for any bites that he might have missed. Satisfied that he had gotten all of the bites; he took a deep breath. Then he went on to the next stage of treatment. He tied the loose end of the rope below the bite that was furthest away from the tourniquet. He started wrapping the loop of rope hanging between the two ends around the leg, slowly increasing the pressure inside the region of cuts. The cuts began to seep blood mixed with a pale yellow liquid. Some cuts had more of the yellow liquid than others. He repeated the process on the other leg. The amount of liquid expelled from the cuts was amazing. He unwrapped the ropes and proceeded to wrap the rope between the ends again. More blood and pale yellow liquid seeped out. He repeated the process on both legs until no more yellow liquid seeped out and the blood ran clean. Ed watched John work on his legs even as he drove at eighty miles per hour. He couldn't believe how calm the guy was about his injuries. He tried to imagine how hard it would be to cut himself the number of times that John had. Finally, when John appeared to be finished Ed spoke, "You're the bravest man I've ever seen. I know, I've seen quite few when I was in the army." "That's nice of you to say. I feel more stupid than brave. I could have done this without a single bite, but I left my walking stick in the house." Ed continued to watch as John worked on the bites. He was amazed by the technique that John was using. He'd never be able to laugh at the joke about the lone ranger being bit in the ass by a snake again. He now knew how to extract the venom without having to suck it out. Ed drove silently for a minute and then stated, "I'm sorry about last night." "Same here. I hope that we can become good friends." John was silent for a minute. He finally asked, "Can I ask you to do a favor?" "Sure." "Don't tell anyone what you see or hear in the hospital." "Is that it? No problem, I won't say a word about it. Let's just hope the hospital is just as quiet about it." John laughed, "I've dealt with hospitals before. They are usually pretty good when they know that you desire a little privacy about such things." Ed shook his head. He wondered what experience this guy had with small town hospitals. Even bee stings made it into the local newspaper. He didn't get a chance to answer as they reached the hospital. He slowed from eighty miles an hour down to a more appropriate speed as he directed the truck into the emergency drive. As soon as the truck was parked, John opened the door and stepped out. The nurse on duty looked at the bloody mess around his ankles and called for a gurney. In seconds, a crew with a gurney arrived. The nurse kept calm and asked, "Your name?" "John Carter." "Have you ever been a patient here?" "No, but I had my medical records forwarded here three weeks ago. All the information you'll need is in them, except for one gunshot wound that I received after I sent it." "What are those cuts?" "First aid for snake bites." "All those cuts for a snake bite?" "All those cuts are for about twenty snake bites." "Okay, what method of first aid did you use?" "Chinese rope." "Never heard of it." "Very effective. Chinese snake handlers use it when dealing with very poisonous snakes. They usually do not take anti-venom. I learned it because when you are hiking it is not always possible to make it to a hospital in a timely fashion." "Okay, I'll get your medical history." The nurse walked off in a business-like manner to locate his medical history. She returned walking much faster and excitedly. "John Carter? The John Carter?" "Yes, ma'am." "Wow, I didn't realize who you were. Just about everyone has looked at your chart. Doctor Hayes is coming." A woman walked brusquely down the hall, her heels made a clicking noise with each step. She was tall, almost six feet. Her hair was blond and tied back. Her features were Nordic. Even the least observant person could see that she was the doctor on duty. Only a blind person could miss the authority with which she carried herself. Entering the examination area, she closed the curtain leaving John, Ed, herself, and the nurse crowded together in close quarters. She bent over the gurney and examined the cuts on his legs. She smiled and nodded, "Good job. It looks like you cut in the direction of the fangs and deep enough to get to where the toxin was deposited. Single cuts rather than X cuts. You did a very good job. Of course, I expected that of you after reading your record." "Thanks." She examined the tourniquet for a moment. She looked up surprised, "Chinese rope?" "Yes." "I doubt you really need the anti-toxin, but with that number of bites it's better to be safe than sorry." She reached behind her and removed a syringe from a tray carried by the nurse in the examination area. She injected John without major comment or warning. John asked, "Aren't you supposed to warn me that this is going to sting a little?" "You've had more than enough of these to know what is going on!" "True. I was just wondering if you had failed bedside manner in medical school." His comment was greeted by general laughter. Nonplussed, the doctor stood there for a moment and consulted the folder containing his medical records. She asked, "Would you mind standing up for a minute and allowing me to examine you?" "No problem. "Could you please drop your towel so I can see all of you." "No problem." John dropped the towel. He stood there completely naked. The only thing left was the medallion hanging around his neck. After so many trips to the hospital and being examined by so many people, John had dropped all modesty about his body. Ed, sitting slightly off to the side, realized that there were still more scars. He felt a little embarrassed at examining another man's body. The doctor shook her head in amazement. She proceeded to point out scars and recite the situations in which they were created. As she recited each situation, she paused for an acknowledging nod from John. Ed stared wide-eyed as he heard the causes of each scar. When the doctor had completed her examination, she stated, "When I got your medical report, I assumed that some sort of joke was being played on me. I called the Austin Hospital and still couldn't believe it. I have never heard a hospital staff member rave so much about a single individual in my life." "They are rather exuberant in their attitude towards me. I guess it is the fact that I heal rather quickly." "Quickly? I understand that you were dead for three minutes after the shot in the shoulder and that you walked out of the hospital two days later." "It was four minutes." John thought back to that occasion and smiled as he recalled the farewell line-up that sent him off. He chuckled to himself. "Nice hospital, very friendly." The doctor noticed his reaction. She added, "Yes, I talked to them too. I heard that you taught some doctors new lessons in bedside manners. The doctor there told me I was to send you to a vet. I also heard about the little goodbye treat you received. I hope you aren't expecting all of our female staff to dress up in sexy nurse outfits." "Darn, I was hoping for that. The least you could do for me is dress up in a sexy doctor outfit." The nurse started laughing so hard that tears were coming from her eyes. The doctor shot her a dirty look; it didn't stop the laughter. When she looked back at John, she observed that he had noticed the look. She explained, "Some people here think I'm an ice bitch." John looked at her very seriously and shook his head, "No, I don't think so. You aren't an ice bitch. You are a consummate professional at work. At home, I bet you are a very focused and considerate lover. I would bet that you are a natural submissive." The doctor's blush seemed to spread from her neck up until it was covered by makeup. The blush was definitely noticed by the people gathered there and surprised almost everyone. Ed looked at her speculatively for a moment and then discounted the possibility that a doctor would be interested in an old cowboy like himself. The doctor found she was looking at John's cock and then broke out of her thoughts. She snapped, "Enough of that topic. I'm going to ask that you stay here today and tonight, just in case." John asked, "Will I be confined to bed?" "Only if you start to feel sick. Why?" "Well, I was wondering if there were any kids in here that might appreciate having a story read to them." The nurse and Ed started at that. This guy was hurt, yet he was still thinking of others. The doctor nodded, "I heard about you doing that at the burn center. I don't think there will be a problem with you doing that. I believe there may be a copy of Tom Sawyer around here somewhere." "Great. I'll need a hospital gown and robe. I would hate to have to walk around like this or in my towel." John laughed as he imagined the impact his current appearance would have on everyone. The doctor glanced back down to his cock thinking she wouldn't be able to get any work out of the women in the hospital if they saw him naked. The nurse reached around and handed him the requested items. As John put them on, the doctor asked, "So how did you get so many bites?" "A child found himself in a little difficulty. I did what little I could." Ed Biggers spoke for the first time, "Bullshit. This kid had walked into an area of rattlesnakes sunning themselves. There must have been a hundred of them. He was terrified and screaming. John came running out the house just dressed in that towel. Then he just walked in as calmly as can be, picked the kid up, and walked back out. You'd have thought he was just taking a stroll through a park. Bravest damn thing I've ever seen. Everyone else, myself included, was just standing there too afraid to move." The doctor wrote that down into the medical record. She nodded, "Sounds like John according to what I've read in here about him." Ed turned to John, "I have to apologize for last night. I hope you can forgive me. I'll buy you a coke anytime you want." This was the second time that Ed had apologized to him. John smiled and extended his hand, "I'll be proud to call you a friend." The doctor looked up at Ed. She asked, "what was that about?" Ed looked up at the ceiling for a minute and then replied, "I met him the first time last night and offered to buy him a drink. When he requested a coke, I'm afraid that I didn't react very nicely. I called him a wimp. When he made a smart-ass comment, I lost my temper and went to hit him. Let's just say, he won quite handily. I'll admit I was trying to think of some way of getting back at him, but damn he's no wimp. He's a better man than I am. I was a real jerk last night and I'm man enough to admit it." The nurse looked at Ed with more than a little interest. She had never heard a man give such an honest appraisal about himself in public like this. It turned her on. She moved a little closer to Ed. Ed looked around rather uncomfortably and then stated, "Look, you're gonna be in here until tomorrow morning. I'll head out now and be back to pick you up in the morning. If you don't mind, I'll pick up some clothes for you to wear home." "Thanks, I'd appreciate that. My clothes are in the backpack. You can't miss it." The nurse led Ed out of the examination area. There was a long whispered discussion between the two of them. It looked like the nurse had made a new conquest. Their mutual interest was clear to anyone that saw them. The doctor was left alone with John. She looked John directly in the eye, "A natural submissive?" John smiled. He took her hands and crossed them behind her back. With one hand, he held them together. His grasp on her wrists was almost non-existent, but she did not attempt to break his hold. He moved close to her and whispered in her ear, "Yes." She didn't fight him. Her arms remained crossed behind her back. In a breathy voice, she stated, "I'll have to think about that." John ran a hand across her chest just below her breasts. She gasped at the shock that raced through her body. Her entire body reacted to the touch; nipples stiffened, juices flowed, knees weakened, and breathing became irregular. He answered, "There's no thinking about it. You feel it." She shivered. John caught the scent of her arousal. He released her wrists and stepped back. She automatically followed him. He changed the subject, "I have to wait here for the nurse to return and show me to my room. I guess you have rounds to finish?" Her knees felt weak and her face was flushed. It took her a moment, but the doctor finally regained control of herself. She nodded, "Yes, of course. I'll order the nurse to wrap some bandages around the cuts. She'll take you to the room." "Okay." The doctor raced out of the examination area. John was left to himself. He lay back down on the bed and wondered if he had turned off the shower before racing out of the house. He decided that Ed would notice if it was on and would turn it off for him. He almost laughed aloud as he considered what Ed's reaction would be to his living conditions. The nurse returned looking excited. She had that glow suggestive of a woman that found a new lover. John glanced at her and teased, "You like that cowboy, don't you?" She attempted to frown and failed. She shrugged her shoulders, "What can I say? He's man enough to admit when he's been a jerk." John laughed, "You're right. That's a rare man indeed." The nurse cocked her head and studied John. She smiled, "We seem to have a run on rare men today." She went over to the cabinet and removed two rolls of bandages, scissors, and tape. She cut several lengths of tape and hooked them on the edge of the table. She quickly moved down to his feet and started unrolling the bandage. She looked up as she worked, "Did you make these cuts yourself?" "Yes." "Must have been very hard to cut yourself that many times and so deep." "It had to be done, so I did it." The nurse shook her head and muttered, "Amazing. Simply amazing." ------- Chapter 17 Shirley wiped the counter in front of John. She looked like she wanted to ask something, but was too nervous to come out and ask. John sipped his coke and ate some popcorn. The room was cool and he enjoyed the quiet of the early afternoon hours in the bar. When business picked up later, he would return home and prepare dinner. Shirley finally asked, "What did you do to Ed?" "Pardon?" "What did you do to Ed?" "Nothing. Why?" Shirley dropped the rag she was using and leaned against the bar. Her crossed arms forced her breasts up and together. She stated, "I've known Ed my whole life. He's a bully. He always has been. Until the day after you and he had your little altercation in here, I would have said that he always would be a bully." "I don't get your point." "He's not acting like Ed any more. You know that night after you helped Jose with the snakes, Ed came in here. He actually ordered a coke and sat at that corner table over there." She pointed to one of the tables. She shook her head, "Now there are a couple of things weird about that. First, he has never ordered a coke. He drinks beer for breakfast. Second, Ed never sits still for more than a few minutes. He's always moving and looking for trouble. Third, Ed sat there alone. He didn't say anything the whole evening. Now Ed has never been quiet, not even when he was in school." John shrugged, "Maybe he was just feeling a little off that night." Shirley laughed aloud. "You don't really know Ed like we do. He's never felt just a little off. Hell, he was sick with pneumonia and got in a bar fight." "So did you ask him about it?" "Well, not that night. But about the fourth time in a row that he did that, I asked him what was wrong." "So what did he say?" John was getting curious about Ed. He hadn't seen Ed except for once or twice since that time. Each time, Ed had been very friendly. "He said that he had seen something that he didn't believe existed. He stated that he needed to rethink his life as a result." Shirley stood up and threw her hands up. "I know he didn't discover God. So what did you do?" John nodded as he listened to Shirley. He honestly answered, "I didn't do anything. I think you'll have to take him at his word. He saw something that he didn't believe existed and it changed him." "Jorge Mendosa said that Ed helped him change his tire the other night. That's a first. Ed has never helped anyone before." "I don't know what to say." "Well, the whole town is talking about Ed. The one thing that everyone agrees on is that he changed after taking you to the hospital." John laughed, "I know he met a nice woman there." "Kelly?" "I believe that is her name." Shirley shrugged and stated, "All I know is that he's been seen with Kelly. She's a nice enough girl. I don't know what she sees in him. However, I really don't think a woman is enough to change Ed." John finished his coke. He stood up and grabbed his walking stick. He left the money for the coke on the bar. It included a nice tip. As he was leaving, Shirley spoke up, "You know. It's nice to have a customer that doesn't leave here drunk. Come back more often, ok?" "Sure." John walked back to his house. As he walked, neighbors came out and greeted him. He stopped and chatted with each one. Kids came up and asked to see his scars. Apparently, his nearly naked appearance had fostered many discussions about how he had been injured. The explanations for his injuries included a past as a special services soldier, undercover cop whose cover was blown, and gangster that was on the run. He laughed them all off and explained that he was a simple college student. It was nearly dark by the time he arrived in front of his house. Ed Biggers strolled over and greeted him, "Howdy neighbor." "Hi, Ed. How are you doing?" "I'm doing fine." "That's good to hear." Ed looked around and then asked, "You got a minute to talk?" "Sure, I've got all week. I just finished the second draft and I'll wait a week before reading it over." Ed laughed, "Well, I promise it won't take a whole week." John gestured, "Why don't we go out in my backyard and chat there? I have two lawn chairs, some iced tea, and a nice patio with a good view." Ed looked uncomfortable for a minute. He nodded, "Sure, that would be good." They went into the house. John took the pitcher of iced tea from the refrigerator and filled two glasses with ice. He handed one of the glasses to Ed and kept the other. Motioning with his head, he went out to the patio. Ed followed him outdoors. After seating themselves in the chairs, John poured the iced tea. He set the pitcher on a cinder block situated between the chairs. Taking a sip of the tea, he sighed, "Oh, boy! That tastes real good on a hot day like today." Ed laughed, "You know something. I didn't know that until a couple of weeks ago. I've quit drinking." "Was it tough?" Ed was quiet for a moment as he thought about it. He nodded slightly, "It was a little tougher than I thought it would be. It wasn't that I was an alcoholic. I guess drinking was more of a habit." John nodded, "I understand. I had the same problem when I quit drinking." Ed looked very surprised, "You used to drink?" "Oh yes. I quit drinking the night my brother wrapped his car around a telephone pole." "I'm sorry, I didn't know." "No problem," replied John. "It took me a long time to come to grips with it. I guess the day I died was the major turning point with respect to my feelings about death and the death of my brother." "I guess it would tend to change your perspective. Of course, I wouldn't know about that." John was quiet for a while as he thought about his past. He sighed, "I guess I'm not so afraid of dying now. I don't know if that makes it easier for me to do the things that I've done. I really don't think about any of that. I just act." Ed thought about what John had said. Neither man spoke for a long time. Finally, Ed stated, "You acted in exactly the same manner before you died as you do now. That's how you got killed." "I guess that's true." They sat there for a while watching the stars come out. The dark Arizona sky made star gazing a wonderful pastime. Finally John asked, "So how do you feel now that you aren't drinking?" Ed laughed, "Pretty good. I've found that I have a lot more time than I ever had before." "So what are you going to do to fill up that time? Visit that nurse from the hospital?" Ed laughed, "Yeah, I've been doing a lot of that. Kelly's very nice. She makes me think about things." "Like what, if I may ask?" "Well, we've been talking about my future. It hasn't looked very good for a long time." There was a significant pause, "I've decided to go to school." John had just finished putting down his iced tea glass, which was fortunate because if he had been holding it he would have dropped it. He had never heard anything so surprising in his life. He took a moment to compose himself, "That's great. What are you planning on studying?" "That's what I wanted to talk to you about." John was taken by surprise again. He asked, "So what are you thinking?" "I don't really know what there is out there. Many things, well, they just seem out of my reach. I couldn't be a lawyer or doctor, for example. I'm a little old to start down those paths." John was quiet for a while. Ed got a more nervous the longer John was quiet. John finally broke his silence, "Ed, let me ask you one question." "Go ahead." "What do you like to do more than anything?" "The only thing I've ever done is work cattle." John shook his head, "No, I don't mean work you like. I mean, what do you really like to do?" Ed's face wrinkled in confusion, "When?" "Imagine that tomorrow you get to do anything you want. You can take the whole day off with no worries. What would you do?" "I don't know. What would you be doing?" "I'd be out hiking. I hike almost four months of the year." "I didn't think about stuff like that. What has it to do with deciding what you are going to study?" John smiled, "I wanted to understand rainbows, sunrises, and sunsets." "So you studied physics. Yeah, it makes sense." "What would you be doing?" "I guess I would be riding around on my horse." John was silent for a minute or two. This line of questioning wasn't going as well as he thought it should. It wasn't natural for an adult man not to have some kind of interest in something. A sudden inspiration hit him, "What are you doing while riding your horse?" Ed looked around a little embarrassed, "Promise you won't laugh?" John made a boy scouts honor gesture, "I promise." Ed made a sucking sound between his teeth. Finally, he said, "I'm looking at rocks." "Rocks?" asked John. "Yes." "Any special kind of rocks?" Ed answered, "All kinds. There are examples of sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous in the area." "Are you more interested in the geology of the area or the mineralogy?" "Actually, I like the mineralogy. You know, I look at things like the shape, composition, and color. The geology just helps me locate them. You don't think that's weird?" John laughed, "God no. That's wonderful!" Ed looked shocked, "You don't think it's childish?" "Oh, Ed. You and I are going to have to go to Arizona State University. There's something there that you really need to see." "What's there?" "Only one of the finest mineralogy departments in the country. It is going to blow your mind with the kinds of things they're doing there." Ed sat up straighter and asked, "Really? What kinds of things?" John smiled, "You'll just have to see for yourself." "You know, I never thought of actually studying rocks formally." John answered, "Let me tell you something that I really believe. If you are passionate about a subject, someone will pay you to work in it. It doesn't matter what subject. I know of a guy who likes to review bad movies. He has a nationally syndicated column where he gets to review bad movies. Like I said, it doesn't matter what subject you are passionate about, someone will pay you for what you know." "You're serious aren't you?" "You bet," replied John. He looked up at the sky for a minute and then stated, "I'll tell you what, let me make a call or two tomorrow and arrange a visit there. I'm not sure when the visit will be, but we'll drive up there together. If you want to take Kelly with you, that'll be alright too." "John, You are an amazing person. I'm really glad I talked to you." John shook his head, "I'm glad I was able to help. It's not going to be easy. You'll have to take a bunch of stuff that has nothing to do with mineralogy." "No problem." John refilled the iced tea glasses. He took a sip of his and voiced his satisfaction with a sigh. The two men sat there watching the stars in the sky and listening to the sounds of the desert just beyond the yard. John thought back to his conversation earlier in the day and started to laugh. Ed asked, "What's so funny?" "I was just thinking back to a conversation that I had with Shirley this afternoon. It seems that you and I have become major topics of conversation. Everyone seems to be wondering what happened to you. They all say you've changed. They also wonder if I was the one who did it. Everyone is also curious about my scars." Ed laughed, "Small town. There's nothing better to do than gossip. If you don't answer the questions to their satisfaction, they'll talk about you for years." "Well, after I'm gone you can decide if you'll tell them anything. Until then, I'd rather not have to talk about some things, if you understand what I mean." "I understand. Besides, it'll do them good to wonder about it for a long time." They sat there for a while longer drinking their iced teas. Finally, Ed stood up and announced, "It's getting late and I've got an early day tomorrow. I'll see you tomorrow." "Sure thing. Have a nice night." "You too." The next morning, John made several calls. It didn't take him long to get a good contact within the university who would be glad to show them around. He used the excuse that he would like to serve as a visiting lecturer there for a semester with full funding provided by an external source. He had learned from his professors the power that a visitor with money could expect to wield. He scheduled the visit for two days from then. He had just hung up the telephone after the last of the calls when it rang. He picked it up expecting to get a sales pitch. Instead, it was Betsy. She called to let him know she was going to be there that evening for a two-day visit before heading off to the middle east. He accepted her statement that she wanted to drive herself so that she could leave on her timeline rather than his. He was ecstatic that she was visiting until he realized that he didn't have a bed. He spent the next few hours getting a bed and the appropriate coverings for it. He was left with two hours before she would arrive. He spent half of that time trying to decide what to cook for her and finally decided that he would take her to the Mexican restaurant in town. He also thought he might take her into the bar to meet Shirley. For some reason, he thought the two women would get along very well. Although he had spent most of the day locating a bed, he didn't want to just drag her into bed as if she was a just a sex object. He wanted to spend time with her and recover some of the intimacy that had been lost over the past two months. A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He went to the door and opened it hoping to see Betsy; instead, it was Ed. He didn't do a very good job of hiding his disappointment. Ed was rather taken aback by the less than friendly reaction. John noticed the change in Ed's demeanor. He apologized, "Oh, Ed. I'm sorry. I'm expecting my girlfriend to drop in anytime now. I had thought you were her for a moment there." Ed knew about the big blowup between the two. It was a good sign that she was coming out here. Ed laughed, "Hell, I'd be disappointed if a man was at the door when I was expecting a woman." John smiled, "Well, I'm sorry anyway. I set up a visit to the university for the day after tomorrow. If Kelly comes, that will make four." Ed grinned and nodded excitedly, "Okay, I'll talk to her tonight. We'll both take the day off." "Great. I'm looking forward to it." "So what are your plans for your girl?" "Oh, I was going to Maria's for Dinner and then over to the bar to meet Shirley." Ed looked around and then stated, "I'm going to head across the street. Don't want to interfere with the grand reunion." "You don't have to run off." "Now you're just being polite," laughed Ed as he turned and walked away. He shouted out, "Good night John. Have a nice evening." "Thanks. Have a good night!" John watched Ed walk across the street. He shook his head remembering the first night they had meet. It was hard to believe that they had become friends after that rough beginning. He was sure that was half of the town's gossip. Shirley had hinted at one point in time that Ed had not had a real friend for as long as she had known him. Most people just tolerated him. He went back into the house to wait for Betsy. He walked around the house looking it over. Not finding anything wrong, he did it again. He checked his watch and found he still had a little while to wait. He went to the front door and looked out to see if she was early. She wasn't. He went back in and checked the house again. He opened the refrigerator to verify that there was a full pitcher of iced tea. He opened the freezer and checked to make sure he had ice. There was ice. He checked his watch again and found that only four minutes had passed. He opened the door and looked out again. Ed was across the street grinning and shaking his head. John waved and went back in the house. Thinking back to the incident with the snakes, he decided he should check the yard and make sure that there weren't any surprises waiting. He went out and checked around the few prickly branches that passed for bushes in the area. Everything was clear. He looked down the street and saw Ed walking away towards town. He shrugged and checked his watch. An eternity passed before Betsy's rental car cruised down the street. John ran down to the street to greet her. He didn't notice all of the faces looking out the window at him and the car. Betsy finally parked the car in front of the house and got out. John raced up to her and picked her up in a big hug. He swung her around in a circle saying repeatedly, "I've missed you so much." Betsy hugged him tightly as tears ran down her face. She was overwhelmed by his emotional and exuberant greeting. All of the reasons for her anger at him shrank into insignificance. Her fears at losing him in the future paled beside the joy of holding him now. She cried out, "I love you so much." Their moment of intimacy was interrupted by a strange sound. They broke apart and found that they were surrounded by neighbors who were clapping, crying, laughing, or giggling. Betsy's eyes went round in amazement. The next door neighbor, holding her hands against the sides of her face, exclaimed, "Oh, such love." John shouted, "Everyone, this is Betsy." With such a large crowd, he didn't know how to introduce them to her. The neighbors took care of that themselves as they crowded around her, shouting out their names and greeting her. The result was a confusing mass of people that made both their heads spin. Almost as quickly as they had gathered, the crowd disappeared leaving only the neighbor, Maria, standing next to them. Maria smiled gently, "Go to the bar and have a drink. People want to meet you. Everyone is curious about the girl who holds our John's heart in her hands. Once they've met you, they will leave you alone so that you can be together." John noticed she had called him 'our John.' He was touched that he had been accepted so easily into the community. Even Betsy noticed how protective and proud they were of John. Betsy touched and held the hand of the woman. She asked, "Senora, would you care to join us?" "Senorita Betsy, you are so beautiful. I would love to come, but I have the children to watch. Go and enjoy yourselves." She made a pushing motion with her hands towards the center of town. John smiled, "Thank you. Tomorrow when the kids are in school, please come over for some iced tea." "Thank you, Senior John. Now go." John and Betsy headed down the street walking slowly. The street was quiet except for the occasional barking dog. John was staring raptly at Betsy. After a while, she asked, "What?" "You are so beautiful. I love you so much." Betsy smiled, "Flattery will get you everywhere." John laughed, "Everywhere but alone until we get out of the bar!" Holding their arms around each other, they walked to the center of town. The town looked empty for that time of day. They reached the bar and John held open the door open for Betsy. She stepped in, followed closely by John. Once they were in the bar proper, everyone shouted hello. Both John and Betsy jumped at the sudden outburst. They were surrounded by a large crowd. Ed came up to them, "Hello neighbor. Can I buy you two a drink?" John smiled at the reference, "Sure, we'll take two wimp drinks." The whole bar laughed at that. Ed laughed the loudest. Betsy looked a little puzzled but recognized that it was an inside joke. Ed came over to Betsy and extended his hand, "I'm Ed Biggers. I take it you are Betsy." "Yes, I am. Nice to meet you Ed." She smiled and nodded her head in greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I wondered what kind of angel could throw steady John into such a frenzy. He was racing around today like a mad bull in a red room. I bet he cleaned that house three times before you got here. I do know that he was looking out the door every five minutes to see if you had arrived." Betsy laughed and turned to John, "Is that true?" "I only cleaned it twice and it was every four minutes, not five." She kissed him on the cheek and laughed, "Only twice? I'm shocked and dismayed." After the laughter died down, the crowd separated John and Betsy with relative ease. People came to John and made various complementary remarks about Betsy. People came up to Betsy and told her how lucky she was to have captured John's heart. Somehow, they both ended up with a coke in their hand and on separate sides of the bar. A sudden noise from the door caused a number of people to gather by the bar. John looked over at the bar and saw that it was loaded with food. Rosa from Maria's Mexican restaurant was carrying in trays of food. There were homemade pies lined up on one end of the counter. Ed was smiling as he shouted, "Foods here!" John and Betsy found themselves side by side and first in line for food. Grabbing the heavy-duty paper plates, they filled them with enchiladas, tacos, beans, rice, and tamales. Bowls of salsa, chips, bean dip, and pitchers of coke and beer appeared on all of the tables as if by magic. Betsy was overwhelmed by everything. Smiling so hard that her face actually hurt, she cooed, "This is amazing!" "I can't believe they went to all of this trouble," responded John. "I'm overwhelmed." They ate at the table. People sat at the table and chatted a little before moving on. By the time the couple had finished their meal, everyone had stopped by for a little while. The jukebox was turned on and people started dancing. This meant the couple was left alone for the first time since they entered the bar. John and Betsy held hands below the table as they looked at each other. They didn't talk much, preferring to enjoy the moment of being together without words getting in the way. They stayed that way for ten minutes. It was as if they mutually agreed at the same moment that they needed to spend a little time with the other people gathered there. John looked around and saw Ed. He waved him over, "Come on over here, Ed." Ed sat down at the table with a smile on his face. He asked, "You guys having a good time?" John asked, "Ed, did you set this up?" "Ah," shrugged Ed. After a significant pause he added, "Everyone helped." John smiled, "Thanks a lot. We are completely overwhelmed. This has to be the nicest thing anyone has done for me." Betsy made a little shooing gesture to John, "Go mingle. Let me talk to Ed for a bit." "Your wish is my command," retorted John with a smile. He slipped out of the chair and headed over to the bar. Fixing up a plate with pie and grabbing a cup of coffee, he went over to the table at which Rosa and her sister, Maria, was sitting. Betsy waited until John was out of earshot and turned to Ed, "Has he been doing things here?" Ed decided to be honest, "Do you mean has he been doing heroic things?" Betsy sighed and nodded her head. When she didn't say anything, Ed volunteered, "He saved a kid from getting bit by a snake. He saved me from becoming an embittered old man." "How many trips to the hospital?" "One, for snake bites." "Only one trip. That's not too bad for him," replied Betsy. Ed looked at Betsy for a moment and then stated, "I know the whole story. I heard his entire medical history and how he was injured each time. I'm the only one in town that knows. He wants to keep it that way. I think he's enjoying being a regular person for a change." Betsy smiled, "He always downplays what he does. I love him so much, but it hurts each time he gets injured." "He's blessed. Nothing will kill him until it is his time," replied Ed. "He died once to remove his fear." "What?" asked Betsy. "Think about it," replied Ed. "His first rescue and he gets killed. He finds that dying isn't so bad. Now he can act without hesitation and save people although the slightest delay would mean their death." "But he gets injured all the time." "He does suffer wounds, but doesn't feel the pain and heals quickly. It is a blood sacrifice to make the magic work." Betsy found herself re-appraising Ed. He looked like a cowboy, but there was actually a contemplative person hidden behind the façade. His explanation actually comforted her. She stated, "You've thought about this a lot." "Yes I have. Now you better head over and chat with Shirley. She's the one that's behind the bar over there. She'd grab John in a minute if he was unattached, but she won't do a thing knowing he's taken. She's a good woman and really wants to meet you." "You like her?" "Not in the way you're thinking, I've got Kelly. She's a nurse at the hospital. Regarding Shirley, I'm ashamed to say that I've treated her really badly in the past." "I'll go over there now. Keep John away for a few minutes. Girl talk, you know?" Ed laughed, "Can I listen in? I've always wanted to know what you women talk about." "You and every other man!" laughed Betsy. She got out of her seat and leaned over to Ed. Kissing him on the cheek, she stated, "Thanks a lot." "What did I do to deserve that?" "You're watching over him." Ed watched Betsy walk away. For the first time in his entire life, he felt good about himself. It was a pure feeling that didn't originate from comparison with others, even if that comparison was false. He sat back thinking to himself that he now had two friends and he had given them pleasure without expecting anything in return. He went over to settle his bill with Maria. He laughed as he figured that he had made her happy too. At the bar, Betsy and Shirley were sizing each other up. It took a few minutes, but each woman decided that she liked the other. Betsy broke the silence, "So Shirley, you want to tell me what you know about Ed and John?" Betsy listened as Shirley explained the events of the night the two men met. Neither woman could believe that John had actually grabbed Ed by the balls when Ed was about to hit him. Shirley went on to explain about the rattlesnake incident. She described the differences in how Ed acted before and after that event. She didn't understand it at all. Betsy understood completely and knew she wouldn't be able to explain it. At that point in the conversation, Shirley stated, "He said he saw something that he didn't think existed and that it changed him. Do you have any clue what that might have been?" Betsy smiled, "He saw that there is magic in this world." "Magic?" "If magic exists, then that means that dreams can come true." Shirley looked very thoughtful for a minute and then shook her head, "I still don't get it." "Maybe, just maybe, for the first time since he was a very little kid, he feels free to dream." Ed chose that minute to come over by the bar. He stated, "Excuse me ladies. I'm going to leave in minute since I have to be up early tomorrow. I just wanted to settle up before leaving." Betsy smiled, "No problem, Ed. We women have a built-in detector that tells us when a man is close enough to overhear our girl talk so we can change the topic." "Darn, one of these days I'll find out what you talk about," Ed laughed. He handed an envelope to Shirley, "This ought to cover everything for tonight. Thanks a lot for letting us use your place." Shirley smiled, "My pleasure Ed. I'll total everything up and if there's too much here I'll return it." Ed held up both hands in protest, "Keep it and treat yourself to something nice. Okay? If it's not enough, just let me know and I'll make up the difference." "Okay." Turning to Betsy he stated, "I'll see you the day after tomorrow. John's arranged a trip up to Arizona State University for us. Kelly will be coming with us. I'm going to try to get into the mineralogy program there." Shirley stared open mouthed at Ed. The news that he was going to go to college came out of left field. She could have believed a flying saucer landing in the middle of town before that possibility. Betsy replied, "I'm looking forward to it." "You ladies have a nice night." Ed turned and left the bar humming some tune as he left. Shirley looked in the envelope out of curiosity and swore, "Damn. He gave me about four times what the bill will come to." Betsy shrugged her shoulders, "He'll be upset if you try to return any of it." "I believe that," replied Shirley. In the entire time that she had serving drinks to Ed, he had never left tips of more than twenty- five cents. At least, not until recently. His tips had increased significantly. He had been very insistent that she kept the full amount. "You can use the extra to buy him a briefcase and school supplies. You could even throw a little party for him when he gets accepted." Shirley, having grown up around Ed, wasn't quite so sure. She felt bad even as she voiced her doubts, "You're pretty sure he'll get in, aren't you?" "Yes, I'm sure. He found magic." ------- Chapter 18 Tired from the party, Betsy and John had come home and fallen asleep. In the morning, they woke with limbs entwined. Waking was followed by soft tender kisses. When lips touched lips, the whole world disappeared. They made very slow and passionate love. It was special and reminiscent of their first time, but with much deeper feelings. Both of them surrendered themselves totally to the other. This was that rare occasion when neither thinks of their individual pleasure and yet does not dwell on pleasing the other. There was nothing but the other and that point of contact. Skin responded to touch as if the fingers were actually flames. Attempting to express the experience in words would only cheapen the experience. They finally left the bed in the early afternoon. After a quick meal of scrambled eggs with salsa, Greek coffee, and toast, they moved to the patio. For a long time, they sat there not saying a word, just holding hands and watching the desert. Betsy broke the silence, "You like it here, don't you?" "Yes, I do. I've never lived in a place like this. When I feel like hiking, I just walk out my back door. It is quiet here." Betsy laughed, "Except for the barking dogs, kids playing in the street, and the trucks with broken mufflers." "You noticed that?" "You can't help it." They were quiet for a while. Betsy was lost in thought. John was watching the thought processes flicker across her face. He couldn't follow what she was thinking, but could tell that some of her thoughts were not pleasant, although the majority of them were good. When she got that look like she was planning something, he interrupted her thoughts, "The stores in town close early." Betsy looked at him in surprise, "Oh, thanks for telling me. How did you know that I was thinking of going into town?" "I know you!" Her eyes twinkled, "Yeah, you do at that. I'm going into town for a little while. Do you need me to pick up anything?" "No, I'm fine," replied John. He added, "Don't you want me to go there with you?" "No." Betsy stood and kissed him. She had an errand to run and wanted another chance to talk to Shirley. "I'll see you later. You stay here and watch the desert. I think I actually saw a road runner over there!" John laughed, "Okay. Watch out for snakes." Betsy walked around the side of the house. John watched the sway of her ass as she walked away. He rarely saw her in jeans and enjoyed the way they showed the shape of her body. He got up and went into the house to get a glass of iced tea. When he returned to the patio, he looked around at his neighbors yards. He was surprised to find his neighbor lying on a chair sunbathing. She was wearing a very skimpy bikini. Remembering his promise from yesterday, he went back into his house and got a second glass of iced tea. He walked next door, with both glasses and one of his lawn chairs. As he approached, he greeted her, "Hello. I invited you over for tea. I'm afraid that we were a little late in getting up and Betsy has gone into town for a little while. I thought I'd bring some tea over." Maria called back, "Don't bother. Your lover will be returning home soon. You two have much to do and don't need an old lady to distract you." John decided that it was probably a good idea not to press the issue. He called back, "You're not an old lady and I'll make it up to you. I promise." "You're a good man John. Take care of your lady first." John went back into the house and straightened the bed. He started a nice basic stew in his large pot. It was the perfect meal for a day like today. It could sit simmering on the stove for hours without overcooking and still be ready whenever they decided to eat. There was enough in the pot for them to eat a late lunch, dinner, and a late dinner. If they didn't finish it today, they could eat some more tomorrow on their return from the university. He had just finished fixing the stew when Betsy blew into the house. She dropped a package on the counter and shouted, "I've got to go to the bathroom. Be right back." It was ten minutes before she returned. She went to the package sitting on the counter and picked it up. She reached in and pulled out a box. She handed it to him and stated, "I bought you a present." He looked at it and tried to figure out what it was. It didn't make any sense to him. He looked up at her, "What is it?" "Watch what I do." Betsy took the device. With a few simple moves, she set up the device for operation. It was actually a very simple process. John followed it easily. She told him, "Hold out your hand, palm side up." He did as she asked. She pressed the tip against his fingertip and then pressed the button. There was a sharp sting where the tip met his fingertip. He jumped, "What was that?" She said, "Squeeze the finger." He did as she told him and a drop of blood was forced out. He looked up at her with a puzzled expression. She stated, "Go outside and flick the drop off onto the ground." Shrugging his shoulders, he did as she had requested. Coming back into the room, he asked, "What was that all about?" She looked him in the eye and answered, "That was your blood sacrifice to the goddess. Do that every day from now on." He stood there looking at her. She looked back at him expectantly. Her statement seemed to resonate with something that he should have guessed by now. He nodded, "I should have thought of that myself." She laughed, "Yes, you should have. Ed suggested something along these lines. He suggested that all of your wounds were blood sacrifices for the magic you were performing." "Ed is an interesting fellow, isn't he?" "Yes he is." Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. John said, "That's probably him now." "I'll get it. I know you like to watch me walking away from you in these jeans." John laughed as he watched her walk to the door. Now that was an ass that justified killing. Betsy threw open the door expecting Ed. Instead, it was a woman and she was a tall gorgeous blond. She was wearing a cream colored blouse, a brown short skirt, and cream high heels. The look of surprise on the two women's faces mirrored each other. The tall woman asked, "Is this the home of John Carter?" Betsy recovered her manners, "Yes. Come in." The woman nervously entered the house. Betsy closed the door behind her. She looked around the blond and looked at John. John shrugged his shoulders. He walked over to the blond woman. Extending his hand, he stated, "I'm John Carter." The blond laughed, "I know that. I treated you at the hospital." "Dr. Hayes? I didn't recognize you." Betsy sidled around the blond and stood next to John. Knowing John as well as she did, it was hard to believe that he wouldn't have recognized her, but he wouldn't lie about it. She decided to play hostess, "Would you like to come out on the patio? It's the only place John has chairs." John was very flustered, "Excuse me and my bad manners. Betsy this is Dr. Hayes. Dr. Hayes, this is Betsy." Dr. Hayes nervously stated, "Betsy. John. Please excuse this interruption. I just had to talk to you." John replied, "Well, you've come all this way to see me. I'm sure it's important. Come out onto the patio and we'll talk there. Do you mind if Betsy is there?" Betsy was rather surprised that she might not be included. Dr. Hayes saw the look on her face and stated, "Oh, no. I don't mind. In fact, it might make it easier." The two women went out onto the patio and sat in the chairs. John grabbed three glasses and the pitcher of iced tea from the refrigerator. There was still ice floating in the pitcher. He dumped a few ice cubes into each glass. He carried them out to the patio and distributed the glasses to the ladies. He handed two to Betsy. He filled the glasses with tea and then set the pitcher down. He got out another chair and set it up facing the two women. Seating himself and accept the iced tea glass from Betsy, he asked, "What can I do for you, Dr. Hayes?" She smiled and answered, "Would both of you please call me Beth?" John was struck by the similarity of names between Beth and Betsy. Betsy just repeated John's question, "What can we do for you, Beth?" Beth was silent for a moment trying to decide how to approach the subject. She had not expected to have someone else here. She decided that Betsy needed to understand her situation, "Maybe it will be best if I explained what happened to me first." "Okay." "When John was in the hospital, the fact that a number of people there consider me an ice bitch arose," she paused to see what effect her words had on the other woman. Betsy looked at Beth for a minute and then stated, "I don't think so. You might act in a very professional and cold manner at work, but in private, you're just the opposite. I'd say you are a natural submissive." Beth blushed. John chuckled and sat back in a very amused fashion. Betsy looked confused by the reactions. She asked, "What did I say?" John stated, "You said exactly what I said, almost word for word." Beth was quiet for a moment. She looked at John. Unsure of herself, she stated, "Could you convince me that it is true?" Betsy smiled and looked at John. John made a gesture indicated that she should deal with this situation. She decided to have some fun with this. She stated, "Stand up." Surprised at the source of the command, Beth meekly stood up. For a confident professional woman, she seemed very uncertain of herself. Betsy stood up next to her, "Put your hands behind your back. Grasp your elbows." Beth did what she was asked. Betsy walked around her and then stated, "Spread your legs apart." Beth did it. Betsy stepped close to the other woman. She whispered, "This is standing version of position one. Just imagine the effect when you are naked. Your breasts are thrust forward. Your cunt is available to immediate touching. Your ass is displayed for viewing." Her comments were greeted by a shaky breath. Betsy continued whispering, "I bet your nipples are hard and your cunt is soaked right now. I bet you are imagining what it would be like to stand there naked right now." "Yes." Beth's answer was so soft that it could hardly be heard. John heard and the thought of her in that situation was turning him on. He couldn't believe how Betsy was controlling Beth. She surprised him again. Betsy smiled. "Now lace your fingers behind your neck and pull your elbows out to the side." Beth did so. Betsy watched, "Now this is the standing version of position two. It lifts your breasts up. It really shows off your nipples, particularly when they are hard. Every part of your body is accessible for view and for touching." Beth shivered, "I want it. I want it so bad." Although Betsy had never thought of herself as a dominant woman, this situation was really turning her on. She glanced at John. She could tell he was getting excited by this as well. Betsy said, "Beth, what do you want?" "I don't know," replied Beth. "You do know," countered Betsy. She added, "You have to ask for it. You have to beg us to provide you the release you seek." "Yes. I want it." "What do you want? Say it plainly and clearly." Beth stood there silently for a full minute. Her breathing was heavy. Her entire body was flushed. She licked her lip nervously. Finally, she stated, "I want you to control me." Betsy stood there silently for a moment. Her silence drove Beth further into confusion and increased her desire. Betsy asked, "Whose pleasure will you seek?" Beth stood there uncertain how to answer. She desired her pleasure, but knew that her path to it was through their pleasure. She shuddered, "Yours and his." "How will you address us?" The question exceeded her ability to answer. She had no clue what to say. Convinced that a wrong answer would mean that they would reject her caused her eyes to water. She whispered, "I don't know." Betsy could hardly believe her ears. Was it possible that she didn't know the answer? If so, this woman was truly a natural submissive and had never explored the idea before. She stated in a louder voice, "You will call me Mistress and you will call John, Master. We will call you slave." "Yes Mistress." Saying it felt completely natural. Standing there like that had been beyond any of the wild fantasies that she had constructed since John had made his statement at the hospital. Betsy stood there for a moment looking at John. This was not how she expected to spend the evening with him, but she was definitely turned on by the situation. She commanded, "Slave, go into the house and wait for us." Beth started to walk into the house with her hands still locked behind her head. John stated, "You may put your arms down, slave." "Yes Master." She walked into the house as the happy couple watched her go. Betsy broke the silence, "I didn't expect to spend the evening like this." "I know, but you're turned on." "How can you tell?" "I can see your nipples from here!" Betsy giggled, "Too true. Let's go in and put her through her paces." John answered, "You're the boss." They entered the house to find Beth standing in the middle of the bare living room. She was standing in the same position that she had held while on the patio. Betsy smiled on seeing her. She stated simply, "Remove your clothes, slave." "Yes, mistress." Her fingers flew to her blouse and started to fumble with the buttons in her excitement. "Slowly, we want you to reveal yourself slowly." John leaned against the wall with his arms folded. He was enjoying the interplay between the two women. He watched as Beth now unbuttoned each button of her blouse in a slow and deliberate manner. Her fingers shook with excitement. She couldn't believe that she was in a very sexual situation with another woman. She was very aware that John was in the room watching, but her attention was solely on Betsy. Beth slowly pulled the blouse out of the skirt that she was wearing and unbuttoned the last button. The blouse now hung slightly open showing the center of a very lacy bra. John's eyebrows rose at the implications of her choice of clothes. With a deliberate movement, Beth slowly pulled the blouse off her shoulders and then by dropping her arms allowed the blouse to float to the ground behind her. Her white lacy bra clearly showed her nipples rising from pink areola. Betsy liked what she saw. She stated, "Freeze, slave." Beth was confused and looked at Betsy. Betsy reacted immediately, "I said to freeze slave!" John watched the interaction. His cock has swollen to the point of pain. He wanted out of his pants, but decided that the appropriate thing was to let Betsy dictate the evolution of what was happening. Beth froze. Betsy walked around the other woman examining her body. After one complete circuit, she stated, "Continue." Beth unzipped her skirt. The movements were slow and precise. She unbuttoned the skirt and let it fall to the floor. She was wearing lacy panties that matched her bra. Beth paused as the enormity of the situation struck her. She was about to get naked in front of a woman just because the woman had ordered her to undress. With a will of its own, her hand reached up to release the clasp of her bra. Betsy spoke one word in an authoritative tone of voice, "Freeze." Even John froze at the command, surprised at the authority that her voice carried. Beth froze so fast that her heart even skipped a beat. Betsy walked around the woman very slowly examining her. The sexual tension was so thick that it could have been cut with a knife. Her cunt was so wet that it was beginning to show through her blue jeans. His cock was tenting his jeans, forcing the denim into an unnatural stretch. Beth was so wet that her panties had turned transparent where they met her cunt. Betsy stepped over to the wall beside John. She stated, "Continue." Beth slowly moved the shoulder straps of her bra off her shoulders. She unhooked her bra. Taking a deep breath, she slowly pulled the bra off and let it slip to the ground. Her breasts were magnificent. She paused as though expecting Betsy to say freeze at any moment. With no feedback, she slowly moved her hands to her panties. Slowly she pulled the panties over her hips and down to her thighs, bending over slightly. When they were far enough down her legs, she let go and they slid down to the floor. With a stately step forward, she was free of them. Betsy stated, "Slave, assume standing position number two." "Yes, mistress." Beth immediately complied. As she looked down, she could see how her breasts were pulled up by the posture. Betsy walked around Beth again. She was slow and deliberate as she looked over the other woman. She took another round. This time she stopped occasionally and ran her hand lightly over the Beth's skin. Each touched brought chills up and down the Beth's spine. After the cursory inspection was over, Betsy ran a finger over Beth's erect nipple. The act resulted in Beth emitting a sudden scream of pleasure as an orgasm ripped through her body. Her legs almost collapsed out from under her, but she maintained her position. The suddenness of the orgasm took Betsy and John by surprise. Betsy rejoined John by the wall with a huge smile on her face. He raised his eyebrows in an unspoken question. He wondered what was to happen next. She waited for the other woman to recover from her orgasm. Once Beth was controlled and her breathing returned to normal, at least normal for her state of excitement, Betsy commanded, "I'm going to ask you some questions now. In your naked state, we'll know if you're not telling the truth." "Yes, mistress," replied Beth with a tremor in her voice. "You came here hoping to get John to do this to you, didn't you?" the tone of her voice was accusatory, almost angry. John looked at Betsy with surprise. "Yes mistress," her voice quavered as she answered. She felt ashamed of herself. "You didn't care if he had another woman. You would have done everything in your power to get in this position. Am I right?" Beth didn't answer. She looked down at the ground in shame. Betsy commanded, "Answer me, slave!" "Yes, mistress. I would have done anything." Betsy stepped up to Beth. From inches away from Beth's face, she asked, "Would you have tried to take him from me?" Beth was tempted to step back from Betsy. She stayed in place and answered, "Yes, mistress." "Would you do that now?" "No, mistress." "Tell me why, slave!" Beth stood there and shivered. She didn't want to express what she was feeling in words. It was too soon and she hadn't had time to come to grips that she was excited by the prospect of serving a woman. Betsy commanded, "Tell me, slave." "I have you and him now, mistress." Her answer was accompanied by a sob. Some emotional damn had burst inside her. She started crying as Betsy took her into her arms. They stood there together in the middle of the room for a long time. John felt uncomfortable, he felt as if he were intruding on a very private and personal moment. Drying off the tears on Beth's checks, Betsy stood back. She decided that Beth was ready for more. She stated, "Undress me, slave." Beth stepped up to Betsy and began to unbutton the buttons. John stopped her, "Slowly and do not block my view, slave." Beth moved behind Betsy. To unbutton the blouse, she had to stand close to the other woman and reach her hands around her. Her erect nipples pressed into the back of the dressed woman. She unbuttoned each button very slowly. When she had removed the shirt, she carefully folded it and set it upon the floor. The neatness contrasted sharply with the rumpled pile of her clothes. The contact between the two women was exciting both of them. John watched while Betsy was slowly undressed. The sight of the two women was incredible. He became tremendously excited once the pants were removed. He admired the sight of Beth standing totally naked, with her arms around Betsy clad only in bra and panties. As he watched Beth remove Betsy's bra, he knew this sight was one he would remember forever. After sliding the straps off the shoulders, Beth reached between the breasts of Betsy and unsnapped the bra. With a cup in each hand, she slowly pealed back the bra exposing the breasts to view. She folded the bra and added it to the neat stack of clothes. Now that she was left with only the panties, Beth was in a quandary regarding how she should remove it. She knelt down behind Betsy and slowly pulled the panties down her legs. The thong presented very little resistance. As Beth stood, she ran her hands along the front of Betsy's body. She stopped once her hands cupped Betsy's bare breasts. Betsy leaned her head back against Beth's shoulder. Betsy shivered and then stepped out of the embrace. She turned to John, "Aren't you a little overdressed?" John smiled, "Well, a little I guess. I just didn't want to disturb one of the most beautiful sights that a man can ever see." Betsy smiled back at him, "And what sight is that?" "The sight of the woman he loves being attended to by a beautiful woman that is totally captivated by her." "You like?" "Oh yes. If I could provide you with a bevy of slaves willing to do your slightest bidding, I would be the happiest man in the world." Betsy turned her head so that she was looking at John out of one eye. She asked, "Would they all be women?" "Goodness no, my love. I know you have needs that only a male slave could possibly meet," replied John. "Come over here big guy. Our slave needs to undress you." John and Betsy exchanged places. Beth moved behind him. A woman can undress herself and look sexy as she strips. A woman can be undressed by another person and be sexy while the clothes come off. It is impossible for a man to undress himself and look sexy while doing it. Rarely, can a man look sexy while being undressed by woman. Beth made it look sexy. She finished by lowering his boxers to the floor and running her hands up his leg until she was cupping his balls in the palms of her hands. His cock was erect, so engorged with blood that the head was purple. It looked like she was balancing his cock and balls in the palm of her hand. The sight was so sexy that Betsy nearly came just from watching. Now that all of them were naked, it was time to decide the next step. Betsy, in total control of the situation, ordered, "Follow me to the bedroom slave!" In a softer voice she added, "Follow us when you're ready, John. I know how much you like to watch a naked woman walking away from you." John watched the two women enter the bedroom appreciating the soft sway of women's hips in motion. His excited cock drooled pre-come like a facet left running. He entered the bedroom to find Betsy lying on the bed. Her head was propped up with the pillows. Her spread legs were bent with her knees up in the air. Beth was kneeling on the floor, her legs spread wide and hands laced behind her head. Her eyes were lowered, but looking directly at Betsy's cunt. Betsy looked up at John as he entered the room. She cooed, "John, why don't you direct our slave for a little while. I'm sure there is something that you would like to see her do." John smiled. He knew exactly what she wanted. He commanded, "Slave, your mistress needs to come. If you can make her come without going below her waist, Betsy will make sure that you get my cock how you want it. If you have to go below her waist to get her to come, Betsy will make sure that you get my cock in your ass. This only deals with her first orgasm, of course. You're going to give her many orgasms before we are through with you for tonight. Do you understand, slave?" Beth looked at the monster erection that John was sporting. The thought that it might be going into her ass scared her. She was very motivated not to touch the other woman below the waist. She swallowed and answered, "Yes, Master." Betsy grasped at once the level of effort that she was going to receive. She asked, "Where do you want it, slave?" Beth answered very quickly, "In my vagina, Mistress." John interrupted, "At work it is a vagina. Here it is a cunt. Answer the question correctly, slave." Beth shuddered at saying the word. She whispered, "In my cunt, Master." "Betsy, couldn't hear you." She almost shouted, "In my cunt, Mistress." Betsy smiled at the discomfort of the other woman. She replied, "okay." John stood there and waited. Betsy stayed where she was and waited. Beth wondered what she was supposed to do. John finally took pity on her, "You can begin, slave." Beth almost threw herself at Betsy. However, when she reached the woman it seemed like she was at a loss what to do next. It suddenly hit her that she was about to make love to another woman. As much as the idea might have once disturbed her, she found herself sexually excited. She decided to go slow and soft. John nearly climaxed when Beth brushed her lips against Betsy's lips. Betsy parted her mouth, ready to accept a tongue. Beth lightly licked Betsy's lips and then moved to nibble on her ears. Her hand lightly swept Betsy's neck and cheek. She returned to nibble on Betsy's lips. She took her time before directly kissing her on the lips. When she thrust her tongue into the other's mouth, it was as if a jolt of electricity shot through them both. Betsy's chest was flushed from her arousal. With the kiss, she started moaning. Her hips dry humped the air as she was driven by the desire for something to rub her cunt. Beth's hands moved down the Betsy's chest. She ran her hands under and along the bottom of the breasts, never touching the excited nipples. Her kisses moved to the neck, pecking with softness that bordered on tickling. Betsy was making little animal sounds. John recognized the sounds. Betsy was on the verge of coming, but it was going to take more than what she had received so far to push her over the top. He moved to a spot where he could see the action clearer. When he got there, he could see Betsy's hand snaking its' way down to her cunt. He was tempted to stop her, but then realized that he could have some fun with it once she climaxed. Beth had slowly kissed her way down to the Betsy's breasts. She still had not touched the nipples. Betsy had rubbed her clit two or three times, when Beth suddenly bit down on a nipple. Either one of the actions was sufficient to push her over the top. Combined, they triggered an extremely intense orgasm. Betsy thrashed about on the bed, her hand trapped between clenched legs. John moved over to Beth so that his cock was just above eye level. She looked up at his cock. From her perspective, it was huge. She licked her lips as she fantasized about it sawing in and out of her cunt. His voice broke into her fantasy, "Slave, look at where her hand is." Beth looked down and saw Becky's hand trapped between her legs. She looked up at the cock in front of her. Her precarious situation didn't register in her mind. John stated, "Slave, her hand was down there before she came." Beth looked up at him in puzzlement. She eyes returned to his cock. Her situation hadn't yet registered. She decided to ask, "Master, what are you getting at?" John smiled, "Slave, your mistress and I have to decide if that means you get it in the ass." Beth's eyes grew large as she looked again at his cock. Only a moment before, it looked huge and the source of great pleasure. Now it looked gigantic and threatening. She was about to argue, but then realized that it would work against her. John ran a finger along her asshole. To both of their surprise, she pushed back against the finger. John smiled, "Do you have a preference, slave?" "I will accept what you choose for me, Master." John stepped back and looked at the sight before him. His girlfriend was still shuddering from her orgasm. There was a look of quiet desperation on Beth's face as though she expected the worst. He knew the rest of the evening was going to be fun. ------- Chapter 19 Beth woke to the smell of eggs, bacon, toast, and coffee. She was alone in a strange bed. She looked frantically around the room. It was empty except for the bed, a knapsack, and a suitcase. The window had a plain piece of cloth hung over it that allowed the light to filter into the room. As her mind returned to full functionality, she realized that she was naked. She didn't know where her clothes were. She ran her hands down her body relishing the feel of her satiated body. She had never woken feeling so good and satisfied. She thought to herself, "This is what feeling well fucked is like. I like it." The events of the night before returned in a rush that overwhelmed her. Images flickered through her mind: her eating Betsy's cunt, her sucking that massive cock and swallowing his come, and being fucked by him while eating her. She had done things last night that she couldn't believe. Had she become a lesbian? No, she had enjoyed John too much for that to be the case. However, she could still taste Betsy on her lips. She rose and wondered what she should do. The first thing she wanted to do was get dressed. She didn't know how she could face them naked. It wasn't the lack of clothes that bothered her, but the power of the emotions that they invoked within her. She wondered how it was that in only a single night she had fallen in love with both a man and a woman. Looking around the room, she could see that her clothes were not in the room. With nothing to wear, she stepped out of the room and entered the living room. Her clothes were neatly folded on the floor. "Come in and have some breakfast before it gets cold." John's voice drifted in from the other room. She wondered how he knew that she was awake. She thought she had been quiet. She stepped out of the living room into the kitchen. John and Betsy were standing naked in the kitchen eating off their plates. John gestured to a plate on the counter, "That's yours. Sorry about the lack of table and chairs, but I don't believe in having too many possessions." "That's okay. It reminds me of my days in medical school." She looked at the other two and recognized their total ease in their nudity. She was still uncomfortable as she glanced down at his cock and wondered if she could take it in her ass. She noticed the cup of coffee and took a sip. She recognized the Greek coffee right away. Betsy laughed, "Well, this is everyday for John. He likes living like this. He rents a room from a wonderful old lady. She's in her eighties. If it weren't filled with her furniture, there wouldn't be anything in it. I discovered that he usually sleeps on the floor on nights when I'm not staying over." This man lived with an eighty year old woman? Beth raised her eyebrows, "The lady doesn't mind you staying over at night?" "Mind? No, she doesn't mind. Since she got a boyfriend, we've found them doing it everywhere possible in the house. She loves her sex." Beth laughed. She remembered the time when she went to get coffee out of the pantry and opened the door to find them cramped inside doing it. "Wow!" John asked, "I hope that we didn't wake you too early. We didn't know what time you needed to be at work, so we got up early. We wanted you to have time to shower, get home to change, and get to work on time." "You didn't wake me." "Did you taste Betsy when you woke up?" "Yes," replied Beth as she wondered where this was going. "Well, we made sure you would just about fifteen minutes ago," replied Betsy with a grin. "Oh. OH! I understand," replied Beth as she realized what that meant. She stated, "I don't have to be in work early today." "That's good. However, we were sure you might want to leave before Kelly came over. She'll be here in about two hours." She swallowed the bite of toast she had just taken, "Kelly?" "Yes, Kelly." "Who's that?" "The nurse that was in the examination room with us." "Oh my God, she can't find me over here. She'll know." Beth imagined the rumor circuit at the hospital. She'd never hear the end of it. She started eating rapidly. John laughed, "I don't think you'll have to worry about her discovering anything new at this point in time. She spent the night across the street with Ed. Betsy and I saw them last night when they road bareback through our yard on his horse. Both of them were naked." Betsy giggled, "You should have seen what she was using for a saddle horn." "Oh my goodness." She looked at her plate and realized that she had finished everything on it. She looked through the kitchen door and saw her clothes in the living room. She wondered if she had enough time for a little more or if she should leave. She decided, "I guess I had better leave now. I'll shower at home." Betsy took the situation in hand and led Beth to the living room. She watched as Beth dressed. Dressing is not as sexy as undressing, but it is still a thrill to watch a beautiful woman cover her body. The two women made small talk while John cleaned the dishes in the kitchen. He stepped out just as Beth finished putting on her shoes. Beth stood before the naked couple, more uncomfortable at being dressed than undressed. She faced them feeling very emotional. She stepped up to John. She kissed and hugged him. "Thanks so much for last night." "It was my pleasure. I hope you enjoyed it." "Oh, I did." She turned to Betsy. For a moment, she felt awkward, but decided after last night she should have no reservations about kissing the other woman. She hugged and kissed Betsy. Betsy wrapped her arms around her and pulled her closer. The kiss intensified immensely. Beth finally stepped back, "Thank you so much. You have given me more than I can comprehend. You shared him with me." "No, I shared you with him. You're welcome anyway." "I shall cherish last night for a long time." Betsy's eyes twinkled. She knew what she was going to say to Beth, but wanted to wait for the right time. She led Beth to the door and opened it a crack. Beth prepared to leave, but Betsy put a hand on her shoulder. Betsy cleared her throat to get Beth's attention. "By the way, John is going to be here for another couple of weeks. You have my permission to come over once a week and serve your Master." The announcement came as a complete surprise to Beth. When Betsy had cleared her throat, she had been expecting to be told to never come back here. Instead, she had given her permission to come over. She wept openly as she turned and hugged Betsy, "I love you so much. I am yours forever." John and Betsy were both dressed and ready to go. Betsy had finished crying from the emotional departure of Beth. John had watched the scene unfold with complete surprise. He realized that both women had grown and changed somehow during the events of the past twelve hours. Beth had experienced her desires and come to understand that they were a natural part of her, but not to the exclusion of all else. Betsy had found new aspects of her character that she had never known she had. He wondered what hidden aspects of his character he had yet to expose. A knock on door the interrupted his thoughts. He walked over and opened it. Ed and Kelly came in. Betsy came out of the bedroom. John stated, "Betsy, I know you know Ed. This lady is Kelly. Kelly, this is Betsy." "Nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you." Kelly stood there for a second, "What was Dr. Hayes doing here that kept her late enough to leave this morning?" Betsy got very angry and was about to attack. John smiled, "What were you using for a saddle horn last night when you road by on the horse?" Kelly looked very embarrassed for a moment. She was about to retort that it was none of his business and then realized that what they had done last night was none of hers. She could tell that her question had angered Betsy. She also realized that her interest was probably easily mistaken for something that was not very nice. Of course, Dr. Hayes would be concerned about her reputation at the hospital. She decided to answer, "I was using Ed's cock if I remember correctly." Ed, excited about the fantastic sex he had last night, grinned, "Yeah, she was telling me an exciting little story last night that involved Dr. Hayes." Betsy was thoroughly pissed. They using her friend and lover as some sort of sex object. Not even bothering to hide her irritation, "Would you mind telling me that story, Kelly?" Kelly looked at Betsy and realized that the day was not getting off to a good start. Both John and Ed were bracing themselves for a catfight. The men looked at each other in a helpless fashion. Kelly looked Betsy in the eye, "You need to understand something before I tell you the story. Ed and I were with Dr. Hayes when a rather amazing revelation came out. Now out of respect for her, I'm not going to tell you what we found out. I will say that it was what brought Ed and I together. Now, I would never do anything to hurt her." Betsy was a little mollified by the preamble, but she wasn't sure that she trusted the woman. She knew what the revelation had been. However, this woman was just a little too curious about the sexuality of her friend. She decided to make it plain, "I'd really be angry if anything were said that would hurt the reputation of such a fine doctor. She's a good woman." Kelly looked at Ed for support. He nodded his head and stated, "You can trust them. They'd never say anything." John looked at Betsy and shrugged his shoulders. Betsy trusted Ed and decided to hear what they had to say. Kelly looked around, "We both want to make love to her." In a flash of understanding, John understood. He had noticed Ed's interest when Beth's submissive side had been mentioned in the hospital. He hadn't noticed Kelly's reaction. Ed frowned, "You know that's just a dream. She wouldn't be interested in us. I'm just an old cowboy and she's a nurse that works for her." Kelly's eyes lit up and it looked like fire was coming from them. "You're not just an old cowboy. You're going to be a mineralogist. We can have our dreams and if we work hard, they'll come true. I go to bed every night and dream about you making love to her and her making love to me. That dream ends with me making love to you and me making love to her." Ed was starting to feel a little nervous. There were a few things he didn't want known. He stated, "Honey, we're gonna freak them out if you keep on." Kelly turned on him. Her passion was clear to everyone in the room. She stated, "I'm gonna have a wife and two husbands, damn it! And you and I both know that we want her for a wife." The idea of such a marriage had always appealed to Betsy. She turned to John, "Can I have a wife and two husbands?" Kelly looked at Betsy as if she wanted to kill her. John answered, "Sure. I've got no problem with that." Ed loved Kelly more than he had ever loved anyone. She was everything he wanted in a woman. She had this dream of living as a foursome with everyone making love to everyone. He wasn't sure how he felt about going down on a guy, but the idea of a larger unit of adults attracted him. It always had. Ed asked, "Are you guys serious or are you making fun of us?" Betsy replied, "We're very serious about it. We've discussed it many times." John nodded in support, "You see, loving relationships have to be structured so that everyone involved feels comfortable with it. To try to force all relationships to fit a common template is wrong. The common marriage structure doesn't work for most people, but they fear to challenge the status quo. We aren't afraid to live differently. We've considered that kind of marriage and others as well." Kelly calmed down significantly and eyed Betsy with a little more understanding. She was about to ask for further clarification about things, but was interrupted by John, "Jeez, I just noticed the time. We had better head out or we're going to be late." The trip to the university was a great success. The university worked out the details for John to be a guest lecturer for a single semester. He would teach a course on the physics of liquids. Ed was signed up for a study program in mineralogy. His years of reading on the subject had actually impressed some of the faculty. Kelly and Betsy had spent some time in the student union drinking coffee and talking. They became good friends. They realized they shared a common profession and they had many of the same ideas about relationships. Returning home in the early afternoon, they moved out to the patio. Sipping tea, they settled into their chairs. John broke the silence, "I'm thinking of buying this house." Betsy's eyebrows rose, "Why?" John stated, "Well, I need a place where I can use as a retreat. When events in Austin get too intense, I need a place to hide and recover." Ed stated, "This is a good place for that. You have many friends here. If you need protection, the whole town will help you." Kelly added, "We have a pretty good hospital." Betsy sat there for several minutes thinking about the implications. She realized that John was letting her know that he was not going to be living fulltime in Austin. She also realized after the events of the past year that it was impossible for John to live in one place for a long time. Betsy asked, "What about us?" John stated, "We are going to have to work out those details. I want to marry you and maybe one of these days you'll say yes. However, I can't stop things from happening when I'm around. Our marriage stands a better chance of surviving if I'm gone from time to time, than if I'm getting shot at every other week." Betsy nodded, "You're right. However it wouldn't be much of a marriage." Ed sat watching the exchange. He realized that what John proposed was extremely tough on a marriage. He wondered how he and Kelly would deal with such a situation. He suggested, "You know Betsy, you could move here and work at the hospital here. John could travel to the university a couple of times a week. This could serve as a central site where he lives and travels away as his urges dictate." Kelly added, "Not much happens in a town of two hundred people. He won't have to be a hero too often if he lived here." Betsy listened carefully to each suggestion. It was tempting. She wondered if she could help as many people here as in Austin. That's when it dawned on her that this was the crux of John's problem. The more people he was around, the more people there were that needed his help. She answered, "Let me think about it while I'm in the middle east." John nodded in understanding. He hoped that this might provide the solution to a problem that he had been worried about for a long time. He was quiet in his thoughts as he wondered about how the Goddess would feel about his choice. It was possible that she might view it as shirking his duty. Was he supposed to spend his life traveling and helping people? He needed an answer to this question. He did know that while he had been here that he hadn't been driven by urges as often as he had been in Austin. Ed broke the silence that had descended upon the foursome, "Kelly, this is Betsy's last night here. I think they might appreciate a chance to be alone." She replied, "Of course, how rude of us. You two enjoy yourselves tonight." Betsy smiled, "Don't worry. We will." John, still lost in thought, missed the exchange. The other couple noticed his the introspective look on his face, winked at Betsy, and left without disturbing him. Betsy was pleased they understood. She watched them leave and then turned to watch John. His mind was working furiously. It was at times like this that she recognized just how powerful of a mind he possessed. Suddenly he looked up at her, "Betsy, I hope that I won't be driven to travel all of the time if we choose this option." She laid a hand on his arm, "We will deal with that if necessary." John shook his head, "I guess we will." They stood up and went in the house. Once the door was shut, Betsy giggled, "Last one naked gets tied up!" The clothes dropped like leaves in an autumn storm. John was leading when he tripped over himself trying to get out of his pants. By the time he recovered, Betsy was naked and crooking a finger at him in a come hither motion. He smiled, "You won. I guess you want me to bathe you before you begin torturing me?" "Good idea." They showered together with John doing all of the washing. She luxuriated in being treated like a queen. John dried her off paying close attention to all of those sensitive points. After drying himself off, they moved into the bedroom. Betsy looked around the room and spotted the backpack. The ever-present rope was right where she expected it. With an ease that surprised John, she tied him spread eagle to the bed. Looking down on him, she smiled, "I've got you where I want you." She settled down on the bed next to him and started running her hand up and down his body. Her touch was light and intended to excite rather than relax. Her approach worked as his cock started to erect. She dipped a finger into her cunt and worked it in and out. When her finger was well coated with her juices, she ran it along his lips and under his nose. He licked his lips savoring her taste. Each time he inhaled, her scent tickled his nose. His cock became fully erect. She turned her attention to the rest of his body. She kissed him on the lips, his neck, his nipples, and belly button. She ran her tongue along the inside of his arm. He couldn't believe how good that felt. She slowly massaged his balls. The soft touch and the overly sensitive nature of his balls brought about a sexual tension unlike anything else that a woman can do to a man. John loved it. Everything she was doing was designed to excite him. After thirty minutes of constantly being touched, John was practically out of his mind with the desire to come. She didn't give him enough pressure to take him over the edge. His cock leaked enough pre-come to thoroughly lubricate his cock. She still hadn't touched his cock. Finally she grabbed his cock and started to give him a handjob. The pressure was just right. Only a few seconds and he was ready to come, but she stopped. He groaned in frustration as his hips thrust up into the air. He hoped to rub against something just for the little bit that would send him over the edge. She positioned herself over his mouth and lowered her cunt to his waiting tongue. He licked, kissed, and fucked her with his tongue. He could feel her excitement as she neared orgasm. He sucked her clit into his mouth and took her over the edge. She rubbed her cunt into his face as her juices flooded his mouth. The taste only fueled his excitement even further. She climbed off his face and looked at his erect cock. The purple head, covered in pre-come, looked positively delicious. She knelt down and licked it like a lollipop. His balls drew up and he was on the verge of orgasm. She stopped just before he was able to come. He started pulling on the ropes as his hips thrust into the air. He wanted, no he needed, to come. She smiled at his distress. With light touches, she ran a finger up and down his cock. When his balls started to relax, she'd switch to running her finger around the head of his cock. The skin had reached a level of sensitivity that even the lightest touch sent chills up and down his spine. His balls would pull up and she'd stop. She kept him on the edge of orgasm. After two hours of this, his entire body started to react in ways that he had never experienced. Wave after wave of pleasure swept through his body. Still, he did not ejaculate. His cock wept pre- cum like a bride wept tears when stood up at the altar. He pulled against the ropes trying to free himself. There was only one thought in his mind and that was to achieve an ejaculation. She bent down and slipped his cock into her mouth. The sensation was almost too much. His hips started their fucking motion and she pulled her mouth off his cock. He was screaming for release. He was so close that he was unaware that she had left the room and returned. She placed lubrication on a finger and started to rub it around his asshole. He tried to move down to get penetration. He had no luck. His balls had drawn up so tight that he thought that they were going to draw up into his body. Pre-come was pouring out of his cock. He looked down and saw that it had formed a puddle on his stomach. Eyes closed, he thrashed around on the bed seeking some way of getting release. Suddenly he felt the velvet sensation of Betsy lowering herself onto his cock. This was followed immediately by her finger driving into his ass. He started humping upwards with all of his strength. Once, twice, and then he came. Semen did not burst out, it flowed out for five minutes or more. His body went into convulsions as multiple orgasms washed through his body. Betsy came as she rode the unconscious man beneath her. She had never seen him that excited. She sat aside him as cum slowly leaked out of her cunt waiting for him to awake. He did not awaken for a long while, yet his cock remained erect. She rode to another orgasm, both his and hers. He was not aware of it. She untied him while he was unconscious. It had been difficult, as she had not gotten off him in the process. She stayed on him until his eyes opened. She looked down on him, "Have a good one?" "What did you do to me? I've never experienced anything like that." "I gave you an orgasm." "Yeah, right. That's what it's called." Betsy smiled, "Are you ready for something to eat?" John nodded, "Yes." Betsy smiled again, "Are you really ready for something to eat?" "Yes." She slowly lifted herself off his cock and slid up to his surprised face. She squatted over his mouth, "Eat up." Cum ran out of her cunt in a huge stream. He started licking and sucking the juices from her cunt, as fast as he could, but there was so much that his face became covered with their combined juices. He realized that his hands were free from their bonds and grabbed her hips. She rocked at the sensation of his tongue probing her deeply. Her hand slipped down to his cock. It only took a few minutes for her to come again. She lifted herself off John and looked down at him. His face was covered with cum. His eyes were wild and his cock was just beginning to soften. As she looked at his cock, she realized that he had come again while eating her. She bent down and cleaned his face. He spoke one word, "Wow." She laughed, "Wow is right. I kept you from coming for almost three hours." He shook his head, "I think I went crazy there for a while." She laughed, "That was the whole point." He took a breath, "Have I told you today how much I love you?" "No." "I am the richest man in the world because I have you beside me. I could live homeless on the street and be happy knowing that at one time you even looked at me. My love for you is boundless and unconditional. " Tears formed in her eyes. Trying to lighten the mood, she asked, "So you'd suck a cock for me?" "I'd go to hell and back for you. Anything you want, I'll do for you." Betsy lay down next to him on the bed. He put his arms around her and pulled her close. They watched the sky darken as the sun set. They lay there until midnight when they both finally fell asleep. In the morning, there was the quiet that lovers share when about to separate. Neither wants to talk about it, but both know that separation is imminent. Little touches, small kisses in passing, and sighs when apart marked the morning. As the time approached, John broke the morning of silence, "Betsy, I love you and want to marry you. While you are away, could you please think about marrying me?" Betsy smiled, "Is that a proposal?" "Yes. I think they call that a soft-sell. Please think about it." Betsy nodded her head, "John, I promise you that I will seriously consider it this time." "Thank you." Betsy finished packing her suitcase. She closed it with a terminal sounding thud. John picked it up and carried it out of the room. He set it down next to the front door. He asked, "Have you got everything?" "Yes, John. I'm ready to go." John opened the door and carried the suitcase to her car. She opened the trunk of the rental car. John set the suitcase in it with a sigh. The moment was coming when he would have to say goodbye. He slammed the trunk shut a little harder than he had intended. Betsy walked to the drivers door and turned to find that he had followed her. Betsy had a misty look in her eye, "I have to go now, John." John stepped up to her and put his arms around her. He kissed her passionately, knowing that this was the last kiss for the next month. After several minutes, she lightly pushed against his chest. He stepped back, "Betsy, I love you. Have a safe trip and take care of yourself while you're there. It's a dangerous place." "You get shot at more than I do," laughed Betsy. She added, "You take care of yourself. I love you." ------- Chapter 20 John looked around at his surroundings slowly realizing that he recognized this place. It was where he had met the Goddess for the first time. This time, the stream was not in a ravine, but ran naturally along side the meadow. The region retained that eerie feel to it that threatened to overwhelm the senses. Maybe it was the fact that the life force was so close to the surface here that you could almost see it pulsing in each living thing. She was kneeling by the side of the stream, a hand in the water feeling the current while fish swam past gently brushing her hand. She was nude and just as beautiful today as she had been in the past. Looking upon her mesmerized him. Today she looked sad rather than sexy or forbidding. John looked down at himself seeing that was undressed. His cock was erect and hurting. He felt exposed, as though all of his thoughts were visible to her. He wondered if he was about to be raped again. He corrected himself, wondering if he was going to make love to the full force of nature again. The woman looked up at him with sad eyes. "I'm glad you came to my summons." "What do you ask of me?" She came to him and embraced him gently. It was the most amazing embrace of his life. The comfort conveyed reminded him of his mother's hug when he had fallen down as a child and scraped his knee. It was more than that, though. Their was an intimacy to it that was like a lover expressing her love. She stated, "I'm so sorry John. I had nothing to do with it and couldn't prevent it. I have no direct power against pure evil. That is his realm and he has no one there." John thought about her words. He asked, "She's dead, isn't she?" "Yes, John. She's dead." John asked, "was there anything that I could have done?" "No, John. You couldn't have kept her from going. If you had gone with her, you would be dead too." "Thank you," he accepted what she said. There was no reason for him to feel guilty. She had given an important gift him. "You need to return to Austin by four. The other will not live if she gets the news while alone at home." John woke up in a cold sweat. The top of his sleeping bag, where he had been lying on it, was soaked. He looked around the darkened room and knew what he had to do. Getting up, he went to the telephone. After a long call, he had reservations on the first morning flight to Dallas and a connecting flight to Austin. The price for the ticket was outrageous. They always were when you bought them the day you needed to travel. He would have to leave soon to make the flight. He dressed thinking about what he needed to do. Fully dressed, he picked up his backpack. It had all of his clothes in it. He threw in his toothbrush, toothpaste, and brush from the bathroom. His camping gear was scattered around the house and he didn't have the time to collect it. He threw in the latest draft of his dissertation. He would give it to his advisor in the current state, it was the third draft and pretty solid. Stepping into the night, he locked the door behind him with a dull click. There was no moon and consequently the stars were unusually bright that night. He walked across the street to Ed's house. It was just a dark silhouette against the starry background. Kelly's Honda was parked in the driveway. Knowing those two, they went to bed early and to sleep late. He hated waking them up, but he couldn't afford to wait. He walked up to the door and knocked on it. There was no answer. He knocked again. He heard someone stumbling around in the house. He thought how Ed would react to a stranger showing up in the middle of the night. It wasn't likely that he would invite them in for tea. He called out, "Ed, it's me. John!" Ed opened the door and mumbled for him to come in. John stepped in and stopped just inside the door. Ed stepped back and John realized that he was naked. Then he noticed the pistol in Ed's hand. The gun caught his attention much more than Ed's nakedness. Ed set the pistol in a drawer of a small table by the door. He mumbled, "Sorry, didn't know it was you." "I'm so sorry to be here this early. I've got to leave town right now." It took a moment for the statement to filter through Ed's sleepy mind, but when he had finished processing it he snapped awake, "What's the matter?" John was about to answer when Kelly came out of the bedroom naked as well. In his current state of mind, he didn't even think of her nudity. However, the image was stored for later appreciation. She was wiping the sleep from her eyes, "What's going on here?" "I've got to leave right now to catch a plane to Dallas and then to Austin." Ed asked again, "What's the matter?" "Betsy was killed in the middle east." Saying it aloud hurt more than he thought it would. He missed her already. Kelly cried out, "Oh my God!" The concern on Ed's face was clear. Anyone that knew them both would understand how much pain John had to be feeling at the loss of Betsy. Ed asked, "What can I do?" "Take care of the house and see if you can get the rent extended for another month. I'll be back to buy it." He handed Ed the keys to the house. John looked around numbly and saw Kelly crying. He said, "take care of Kelly. She needs some comforting. I better go or I'll miss my plane." Kelly came up to John and hugged him tightly. Her naked body pressed against him. He did not notice the nakedness, only the caring that motivated the hug. She cried, "Take care of yourself. If there's anything we can do, let us know." "Thanks. I really appreciate it." Ed nodded, "really, if there's anything we can do let us know. We'll take care of it. Call collect if you want." John turned to the door and opened it. He turned back to Ed, "a man can't have a better friend than you, Ed." The trip back to Austin was horrible. Connections were tight and the planes crowded. On the flight to Austin, he sat in a row with two other very large men; eight hundred pounds of people in a row that shouldn't hold three normal size people. He had the aisle seat and spent most of the flight leaning into the aisle. He was tired, hungry, and emotionally drained by the time he arrived in Austin. It was a little after noon before he landed, but he still had to rent a car to drive to the house. He stood in the rental line and ended up having to accept a larger car than he wanted because he didn't have a reservation. It seemed like an eon had passed between leaving Arizona and arriving home to Austin. Tired, he knocked on the door rather than letting himself in. Mrs. South didn't know he was returning and he didn't want to scare her. She peered through the eyehole in the door and then swung the door open. Happy to see him, she shouted, "John, you're home early!" John smiled at the warm reception. He stated, "I missed your coffee and just had to stop by for a cup." He entered the house and wearily sat down at the kitchen table. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was one o'clock. The news would get here in three hours. He wanted to stay between her and the telephone, but he was tired. She fixed a pot of coffee fussing the entire time about how tired he looked. He laughed it off, "I worked too hard on my dissertation." "Oh, you kids. You need to learn how to pace your life a little better." "I know. Youth is wasted on the young!" Mrs. South laughed, "but thank god for viagra. It gives us seniors a chance to make up for opportunities lost as youths." John shook his head in amusement. He really liked her attitude towards sex and life in general. He asked, "Where's your boyfriend?" "He said that he had to go home, but I think he went to the pharmacy to get his prescription refilled. He asked the doctor for a month's supply and the doctor asked if four would be enough. Jim told him he needed at least sixty. Damn doctor didn't believe him so he only got fifteen." John laughed, "Well, he might be home by half past three. Why don't you ask him to come by about that time? Give us a chance to talk a bit and then get out for one of those early bird dinners." Instead of answering, Mrs. South poured him a cup of coffee. He cradled the sides of the mug in both of this hands drawing on the warmth. He hoped that it would help warm the empty coldness that had crept into his heart. He couldn't act as if anything was wrong until the news arrived. He took a sip of the coffee and sighed, "You make a great cup of coffee." Mrs. South sat down across the table from him. She looked at the tired lines on his face and thought about his past behavior. She could sense that something was wrong and knew that John wouldn't tell her until he was ready. She nodded, "I'll give him a call to come down. After you finish your coffee, why don't you take a nap? I promise I'll wake you when he gets here." John took another sip of coffee and held it in his mouth for a moment. He wondered if Betsy's alarm clock was still here. If it were, he'd set that just in case Mrs. South, in her desire to be kind, decided to allow him to oversleep. He nodded, "Sounds like a good plan to me. However, I could use a bite to eat." "I just happen to have some chocolate cake here. I was gonna let Jim eat it off me, but I think I can spare a slice for you." "Oh you kinky lady! If I have to eat the slice off you, I will." Mrs. South laughed, "I'd do it, but it would make Jim madder than hell!" "You don't mean to tell me that he's jealous." "You know better than that. That old reprobate would be mad because he didn't get to watch you do it." John laughed and shook his head. Those two were ones for the record book. They had a more active sex life than most married couples a third their age. When he thought about it, he realized they probably had a more active sex life than he and Betsy had. The thought brought a tinge of pain that he struggled to cover. Mrs. South set a large slice of chocolate cake in front of him. She sat down, serious all of a sudden. She stated, "Something like your hero urge drove you back here, didn't it?" John finished the bite of cake in his mouth and washed it down with the coffee before answering. "Nothing is certain yet. I'll know more later." "It must be bad." "Probably, I'll know more later." Mrs. South studied him carefully for some clue. She watched as he finished the cake and coffee. When he sat back, he looked up at her. He suggested, "I'll tell you what I can when I'm certain." Mrs. South nodded, "Get some sleep. I promise I'll wake you when Jim gets here." John went into his room. Betsy's alarm clock was on the night table where she always kept it. He set it to go off at 3:15. He looked at the floor and then at the bed. He didn't have his sleeping bag here, so he decided to use the bed. The only time he used a bed was when a woman was there to share it. Despite the memories the bed raised, he fell asleep as soon as he lay down. The alarm rang on time. John woke up shaking his head and trying to rid himself the nightmares that plagued his sleep. It took him a minute to find the alarm clock and even longer to turn it off, but at least he was awake. He took a minute to collect his thoughts. He got up and headed out of the room. Mrs. South, seated in her favorite chair, watched the cable news program on television. He joined her. They were silent as the news program unfolded. This particular show was about the economy. John watched with interest and wondered how Jenny and Jack were doing with their business. The thought made him realize that he would need to call them tonight. He wondered how he was going to break the news to them. Mr. Jensen arrived right on time. In the time John had been gone, Mr. Jensen appeared to grow ten years younger. Maybe all of that sex was making him young again. John stood up and shook his hand. He stated, "I see you've taken good care of my landlord here." Jim had been over almost everyday since John had left. She had taught him things about sex that he had never known. He was still having difficulty walking after she had used the dildo on him last night. Jim chuckled, "She's taken better care of me." Mrs. South laughed, "John, can't you tell that he's sad you're back? He was getting used to getting a blowjob on entering the house. Now he's going to have to wait until we get to the bedroom." John acted like he was munching on his arm provoking a smile from Mrs. South... John laughed, "Oh, don't worry about me. I want to see him eat that chocolate cake later tonight." Mrs. South started laughing and slapping her knee. Mr. Jensen looked puzzled. John made an exaggerated act of licking his lips. She finally burst out, "You keep me laughing like that and I'm going to wet my pants." John saw Mr. Jensen's puzzled look. "She told me that she was going to serve the chocolate cake on her body and you'd have to eat it off her. She threatened to make me do that, but said you'd be mad that you didn't get to watch." "God above, I just love a randy woman with a good sense of fun." It was almost four and John turned to look at the television. International news was going to be covered next. He sat back and realized how they were going to learn about it. He turned to Mrs. South, "Hey, have we got any of that coffee left?" "Sure." John made as if he was going to get up. Mrs. South saw his movements and stated, "Now you stay here. I'll get you a cup of coffee." John made a protesting gesture, "Mrs. South, I'm more than capable of getting my own coffee." "No. You stay there and talk with Jim. I'm old fashioned and don't think men belong in the kitchen." John slowly nodded his head, "Okay, Mrs. South." She went into the kitchen. John was pleased that his ploy had worked. He turned to the news program almost ignoring Mr. Jensen. His behavior did not escape the attention of the older man. He turned to watch the news. His mouth dropped as the first news story told about a number of volunteer nurses that were killed by a rocket propelled grenade attack in the middle east. He turned to John to see John looking at him. John nodded his head confirming the old man's fears. Mrs. South came back into the room with John's coffee. She saw the expressions on their faces and knew that something bad had happened. She set the cup down on the nearest table, "What happened?" Mr. Jensen went over to her and put his arm around her. John looked over in their direction. He stated, "There was a problem in the middle east." "Not Betsy!" "I'm pretty sure. I've got to call her parents and find out for sure." Mrs. South raced over to him and hugged him. She cried, "You poor man. I know how much you loved her. You must be crushed." John thanked the Goddess. His presence here had changed the news from being a personal tragedy for Mrs. South to his tragedy. She would be strong for him, rather than weak for herself. He answered, "I'm so lucky to have you here to help me at this difficult time. You are a life saver." John spent the rest of the afternoon on the telephone. The first thing he had done was call Betsy's parents. They had been informed only a few minutes before through official sources that it was definite that she had been killed in the attack. They had decided to have a memorial service in three days time in Austin. There would be a private funeral in her hometown once the body had been shipped back to the states. They invited him to both services and asked if he would give the Eulogy at the memorial service. He then spent the rest of the afternoon calling everyone that knew Betsy in the Austin area. The news spread like wildfire. By the time that he had reached the last name on the list of people he was going to call, they had already known. When he had quit making calls, he started receiving calls from the EMS, police, and fire department personnel that he knew. All conveyed their sorrow at what happened. That evening, when the long distance rates were lowest, he called his friends and let them know what had happened. Mrs. South helped as much as she could. She made sure there was always fresh coffee. She cooked a very nice meal for dinner that the three of them ate together at the table. At random times, she would come up and give him hugs. He knew that at her age, she had dealt with the deaths of many friends and relatives. She knew exactly what to say and when to say it. He knew this was a hard time for her. She thought of Betsy as a granddaughter. The next day, Mrs. South and John went shopping for a suit that would be appropriate for a funeral service. She was pleased to be included in helping him pick out a suit. She enjoyed making sure the men in her life were appropriately dressed for major occasions. Personally, he was glad that she came along. He would have bought the first suit that he came across. She had him try on several suits before picking out one of them that would serve multiple purposes. She made very good suggestions on ties, belts, and shirts. He was surprised when she asked them to tailor the shirt to fit him better. He had never heard of doing such a thing. Before heading home, they stopped by the university so that he could drop off his dissertation to his adviser. He told the department secretary about Betsy's death and that he would be unavailable for the next few days. She had met Betsy several times and had liked the young woman. She was pleased to meet Mrs. South. They had talked several times on the telephone, but never met. It always amazed her that he would choose to live in a room rented from an old woman rather than alone in an apartment. She knew that living with an old woman must put an awful damper on his love life. Returning home, Mr. Jensen gave him a long list of telephone messages. He couldn't believe the number of people that had called. There were at least thirty names on the list. He immediately saw that Betsy's parents had called and returned that call first. They had wanted to know how many people might show up at the memorial service. He thought about it for a moment and suggested that maybe fifty people or so might attend. Of course, there might be more than that depending on how many people from the hospital attended. They had their choice of a room for fifty or for two hundred. They discussed it and decided on the room for two hundred thinking that it would be better to have empty space than to require people to stand. He invited her parents to stay at the house, but they choose to stay in Betsy's apartment. The next day he picked up his parents up at the airport. The trip from Dallas was just a short flight, but crowded as always. John was surprised that they had checked their luggage until he saw how much they had brought. They had three suitcases for a three day visit. He used one backpack for three months. Maybe he did live like a monk. He had to stop by the suit place and pick up his clothes. The sales staff was very friendly and several of them knew John by reputation. The woman behind the counter remarked that it was nice that he brought his grandmother to help him pick out a suit. She tried to flirt with him, but her attentions went unnoticed by him. His parents noticed, but didn't say a word. His parents stayed in the guestroom at the house that night. It was the first time in a long time that he had a chance to talk with his parents. Everyone talked until late in the night. He didn't know how much his parents hoped that he and Betsy would marry. They had really loved her like a daughter. John understood how they could feel that way. Betsy had that effect on many people. After John went to bed, Mrs. South and Mr. Jensen talked to his parents for several more hours. His parents began to get the idea that John was a minor celebrity in the area. The morning of the memorial service finally arrived. John slowly got out of bed despite wanting to go back to sleep. There was just too much to do. His father came into the room while he was dressing. After looking at the scars for a minute, he left the room without saying a word. The scars disturbed his father very much, but it wasn't the time to bring up the subject. John had arranged for a wake to be held at the house. Mrs. South was actually pleased to be entertaining people, although the circumstances were not the best. She had hoped to be arranging a bridal shower for Betsy rather than a wake. Making sure that everything was settled, they waited for Mr. Jensen's friend to show up. He was there to house sit during the memorial service. Mrs. South had known friends that had their houses robbed during funerals and didn't want that to happen to her home. The result was that they left the house a little later than they had intended. Arriving at the memorial park for the service was an overwhelming experience for John. He had expected fifty people, but there were many more. As he drove up, he spotted police cars, ambulances, and even the fire marshals car. The parking lot was overflowing with cars displaying university parking stickers and tags from the hospital parking lot. He looked at Mrs. South and his parents, "What's going on?" It was the first time that his father actually understood how many people knew his son. His father answered, "They've come to support you." John was touched. The last funeral he had attended was that for his brother. He was not in any condition to even notice what was happening. His memories of it were just a blur. He had just quit drinking, he was feeling guilty, and he hadn't slept. He wondered how many important events, times of great stress, became nothing but blurred memories without detail. He drove around looking for a place to park and then saw a number of parking spaces blocked by orange traffic cones. A woman officer stood by the cones to move them out of the way when the people for whom the spaces were reserved showed up. John knew her and when she recognized John, she moved one of the cones out of the way. It took half a minute to park the car. He got out of the car and opened the doors for everyone else. His father put a hand on his shoulder, "Son, I'll take the ladies and Mr. Jensen into the room. You do whatever you need to do." John replied, "Thanks Dad. I'll make sure that Betsy's parents get a place to park." "Good. We'll see you inside." John watched them walk away. He stepped over to the police officer, "Hello, Officer McDonald." "Hi, John. I'm sorry about Betsy." "Thank you very much. Do you know if her parents have arrived yet?" "We're keeping a parking space for them, but I don't know them." "It was nice of the funeral parlor to arrange the parking spaces." "Oh, we volunteered. All of us know you and most of us knew Betsy. Very sad day indeed." John nodded, "I appreciate that. I'll wait here with you. From what I understood when I talked to them this morning they should be arriving soon." He had hardly finished talking when he noticed their car. He waved to them and gestured for them to drive over to where he stood. He turned to the police officer, "That's them." She removed the cones blocking the parking space and Betsy's parents parked the car. He opened the door for her mother. She stepped out of the car and stood there for a moment straightening her black dress. Her eyes were red from crying. She wore no makeup. She grabbed him and hugged him. She cried, "John. Oh John. She loved you so much. She wrote us that you had proposed and that she was going to accept." John was pleased to hear that she was going to accept his proposal. He wondered if there was a letter in the mail to him. He held her mother and answered, "I love her so much. She's always in my thoughts." John and Betsy's parents went to the building where the service was being held. There was a huge crowd standing in front of the building. John was shocked. Her parents turned to him in surprise. "Where did all of these people come from?" "I don't know," answered John. He recognized everyone there. He added, "I know everyone, but I had no idea they were coming." A man that he didn't know came up to them. He was the priest that was performing the service. In John's opinion, he was too young to be performing such an important ceremony, but he deferred to her parents decision. The priest greeted Betsy's parents and ushered them into a waiting room inside the building. Betsy's mother put her arm in John's arm so that he went with them. The priest was nice and did his best to make them feel comfortable. It was quiet in the waiting room. John looked around at the dark wood furniture and the red carpet. The walls were white and covered with plain paintings of generic flowers. Each chair had a box of tissues discretely located within reach. It was a sad little room, the site of much grieving. Everyone was lost in his or her own thoughts. John mentally rehearsed the eulogy. The service began after John and the family had been led from the waiting room into the hall. They were lead to seats along the front of the hall. Before taking his seat, John looked across the hall. He saw that all of the seats were filled and some people were standing along the back of the room. John looked around at all of the faces. He looked at the eulogy in his hand and wondered how he would be able to read it in front of so many people. The service started with prayers and singing hymns. John was unable to judge the quality of the service from a religious perspective, but others seemed comforted by the words. Finally, it was time for him to give the eulogy. He slowly walked up to the podium trying to control his nervousness. Reaching the podium, he looked around the room. He took a deep breath and began, "A little less than four years ago, I was shot and killed. I was dead for four minutes before I was resuscitated by the doctor operating on me. I did not want to return to the living, but the Gods and Goddesses saw it otherwise. They sent me back to this world." "I say this so that you will know that I speak from experience rather than faith or hope. Being dead is not awful and we should not feel sorry for the dead. In fact, for those that have lived a loving life, death is glorious. For those of you who believe in heaven, let me assure you that it is heavenly. No words can do justice in describing it." "Do not be sad for Betsy. Yes, she was young. It is true there is much of life that she didn't get to experience. She didn't get a chance to be a bride, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and all of those other things that a women can experience." "However, I must remind you that she is in a much better place now. She has no regrets for those things that she didn't get to do. She is happy now. Again, I say this from personal experience." John paused as he looked across the people gathered there. He was surprised by the expressions on their faces. The elderly looked relieved, the middle aged thoughtful, and the young entranced. He continued, "Despite what I know, I am saddened by the loss of Betsy. You might wonder why I feel that way considering what I've said. It is simple. I am saddened by the things that we didn't get to do together. I know there will be times when something happens and I will think to myself that she would love to hear about it. The sun will rise and set, but we won't share the experience. I will have to live with my regrets for all the things I hadn't had a chance to say to her and that saddens me." "What was there about Betsy that made each day together a beautiful day? She was a very pretty woman, but there are many pretty women. She was intelligent and witty, but there are many people with those same traits. The one thing that separated her from the billions of other people on this planet is that she truly cared about her fellow humans. As a nurse, she gave of herself to her patients. As a person, she took that extra moment of time to learn about the people around her. She listened to them, really listened. She helped those that were worse off than her. As a friend, lover, and daughter she gave of herself totally and without reservation." He had to pause as emotion threatened to overwhelm him. He noticed a glass of water at the podium and took a sip from it. He continued, "Her giving nature took her into danger. She didn't concern herself with the danger. She thought about the people that she could help. She thought about people living in tents, eating poor quality food, and suffering from disease. Should we have stopped her from going? No, for that would have denied that quality in her that made her special. We must accept that she valued serving humanity far more than she valued her own life. This is a noble trait. She was a noble person." "For those of us who knew her, we have lost a priceless jewel. For those who hadn't met her yet, they have lost a great opportunity. Yes, we are all saddened today. We are saddened that such a huge gap has been introduced into our lives. The world of the living is a lesser place. It became that when she died." He was at the point where his prepared talk had finished. He had not expected so many people to attend and felt that he had to address this. He added, "Looking over the crowd gathered here, I know she would have been overwhelmed that her life had touched so many people. She didn't keep score identifying those she helped. I feel her here in this room. I believe that she is pleased with the knowledge that so many care so much. There is no greater legacy that one can leave." He returned to his seat and watched the rest of the service. He was drained emotionally. When the service was over, her parents and he were led outside the hall to greet all those that had attended. It was decided that since he knew most of the people here, that he would stand first in line so that he could perform introductions. The emergency services people were the first to leave. Harry, George, Officer Rickert, and others gave their condolences. He was amazed to see so many of them there. The Mayor commented that he hoped John never ran for political office because no one could compete with his ability to make a speech. Her coworkers from the hospital filed by, all of them teary-eyed. They all thanked him for such a wonderful eulogy. The people from the university all exited together. He had not expected any of them to attend. His mother and father came out. He introduced them to Betsy's parents. Her father stated, "You've raised a good son. His eulogy was quite moving." His father laughed, "You just don't know him as well as we. I never knew what she saw in him. She was too good for him and we told her so." John shook his head. His father was his father and couldn't come out with direct praise. He had to hide it in humor. Behind his parents were Jenny and Jack. Jenny hugged him with tears in her eyes. She cried, "Oh John, I'm so sorry for you." "Thank you for coming. You are coming to the house later, right?" "Of course," replied Jack. Jenny turned to Betsy's parents. Unsure how to describe the relationship that she had with Betsy, she chose the broadest interpretation, "She was my best friend and taught me so much about love." More people passed by and the faces became blurred. He looked up and saw Beth hardly recognizing her. Beth, eyes swollen and red from crying, was devastated, "John, I loved her so much. How could this happen? I find happiness only to have it wrestled away." John hugged her wishing he could help her with her grief more. "Beth, you know that she loved you too. Please come by the house so that we have a chance to talk." "Of course." He introduced her to Betsy's parents and turned to see Ed and Kelly standing in front of him. He greeted them, "Oh, thank you for coming." Ed shrugged his shoulders, "Hey, I figured you probably needed us. I know that Beth needed us." Kelly added, "She's cried ever since I told her about Betsy. I've been staying with her through this difficult time. I'm really worried about her." John nodded, "That's very nice of you. I know you'll take good care of her, but she appears to be very fragile at the moment." Ed nodded, "We will. Kelly's been staying the night in the hotel room with her. Beth doesn't want to be left alone." He introduced Ed and Kelly to Betsy's parents. Turning back, he was shocked to see Shirley. Standing next to her was Maria. He stated, "My goodness. I really didn't expect you to come." Shirley wiped her eyes, "She was a very special woman. We only had a chance to talk twice, but you wouldn't believe how much she helped me. I had to come here for you and her both." Maria looked away shyly, "I liked you both. I'm so sorry for your loss." He hugged her and kissed her forehead. "Thank you so much for coming. I hope you both make it to our house." John greeted more people that stood in line. Many of them were from the neighborhoods where he typically walked. One of the surprises was the presence of Virginia Hill in the line. He hugged her tightly and then held her at arms length. He smiled, "So nice of you to come. You are looking so good. How are things going?" "They're going fine. We've moved into a new house and things are looking much brighter." "That's good. How are the kids? How's your career?" "The kids are doing real well. I've put them in private schools. The career is going great. My income has almost doubled since our talk." "I'm so happy for you." It seemed like hours had passed, but the line finally ended. Betsy's parents turned to John. The father, with a tremor in his voice, stated, "John, I've never seen so many people that had such nice things to say about you and Betsy. I've never been prouder of her than this day." Her mother added, "Your eulogy was very nice. I know that you aren't a Christian and that the service was very Christian. I hope that it didn't upset you." John looked surprised, "Upset me? Not at all. Please understand I respect the Christian beliefs. Betsy was a Christian and the service reflected her and her beliefs. I would have questioned any other kind of service." Her father looked relieved, "We worried about how you would react." "Sir, you needn't have worried. I loved your daughter very much." The mother stood there for a moment looking at John. She cleared her throat and then stated, "Betsy never told us that you had died." John laughed, "I'm not surprised. It's not a common topic of conversation." "She worried so much about you getting hurt or killed. Ironic, isn't it?" Her father looked down at the ground in embarrassment. There was an unstated implication that he should have been the one that died. John understood that sentiment. "She was a better person that I. She loved you both. I shall miss her very much." John looked around realizing that they were the only ones left. He sighed, "We should get going to the house." ------- Chapter 21 John sat in the chair watching the false dawn break over the horizon. He stood and walked into the middle of the yard. Loading the lancet, he waited for the wind that would mark true dawn. When the morning colors dimmed and the sky turned blue, he put the pen to his finger. He felt the first tendrils of the morning wind and pushed the button. The sharp pain let him know it worked. Squeezing the finger, he forced a drop of blood to form on the end of his finger. With a little flick, he threw the drop of blood to the ground. He stated aloud, "for the Goddess." The wind stopped as the sun broke over the horizon. He turned to find Beth standing naked on the patio watching him. She stated, "You do that every morning." "Yes, I do." He turned back to face the sunrise waiting for the early rays of morning to strike him. "You won't tell me why." "It's a blood sacrifice to the Goddess." Beth looked blank. It didn't mean anything to her. He added, "That's as much explanation as is required." "You aren't yourself today. You haven't been yourself for a week. Why?" John took a deep breath as the sun finally reached him. His morning ritual was over. He replied, "Something bad is going to happen. Something real bad." "What kind of thing?" "I don't know." "Where?" "It's far from here; very far from here." "When?" "Not for a while yet. A week from now, maybe two." "What are you going to do about it?" "I'll go there and take care of the problem to the best of my ability." Beth stood there watching him. She recognized his mood. He would say that he was trying to hear something from far away. Usually it only lasted for a short time and then he would leave to perform some feat of heroism. This had been going on for a week and it worried her. He shook his head, "I'm not getting it. Maybe tomorrow I'll know in what direction to go." He turned and looked at Beth. He nodded in approval. She looked better today than she had in ages. He asked, "How are you doing?" She shrugged her shoulders, "I'm better. I can get through the work day now." "You've been working for six months now. You only missed a week." "I meant without crying." "Oh. Are you ready to be touched?" "No," replied Beth. She was terrified of admitting to love again. The death of Betsy had broken something deep inside her. John didn't know if she would ever heal. He watched her as she stood there naked. She had no problems walking around naked and staying in the house, but anytime he even went to touch her she lost all control. It was difficult living with a naked woman that wouldn't let you touch her. The only time she dressed was to go to work. He had to order her to go to work. Kelly stated that at work Beth was a complete professional. He hadn't had sex since Betsy died and felt he was being false to Betsy's memory. She would have wanted him to get on with life. It was time for a change. He had the feeling that someone was coming that could introduce the change. He cleared his throat, "We will have company today." "No, I won't allow it." Beth stated. She could deal with only one person at a time. If they had company that meant she would have to deal with John and someone else. John advanced on her. She stood defiantly with hands on her hips. He frowned, "slave, get into the living room and assume kneeling position two." Beth went into the house. He knew without watching that she was following his instructions to the letter. She would follow instructions exactly as ordered. The only exception was anything that involved any kind of emotional attachment, even the most minor. She required orders to do everything now. That included eating, drinking, and sleeping. He wondered if she thought that by being the perfect slave she could bring Betsy back somehow. He walked around the outside of the house and sat on the front porch. He waited for one of two things to happen. Either Ed would come over or his unknown visitor would arrive. He hoped Ed would come over now that he was between semesters. He needed someone with whom he could talk. Beth couldn't hold much of a conversation anymore. John was in a quandary. Several weeks ago, he defended his dissertation and was now Dr. John Carter. Although he wasn't a student anymore, he needed to get some work done. He had only planned half of the lessons for this coming semester and it was starting in three weeks. Something horrible was going to happen in a week or two that would require his attention. Beth needed help that he couldn't provide. He looked down the street and noticed an RV pass the end of the block. He got up and opened the front door. He called in, "Slave, make eggs with salsa, toast, bacon, and coffee for three." "Yes, Master." He turned and sat back on the porch. He had recognized the RV when it passed. It was five minutes later that it turned down his street and moved slowly towards his place. He stood up and walked to the curb. The driver spotted him and sped up. He waited for the driver to exit. "Hello, Lily." "Hi John." "I was wondering who was coming." She laughed, "I wondered where I was going." He motioned towards the house with his head. "Your patient is in there. Her name is Beth, but she'll probably run if you call her that. If you want her to stand still, call her slave and tell her to assume standing position one." "Aren't you going in?" "No. She can't stand having more than one person around at a time. She'll run out the back and head to the hills. It'll take us hours to find her if she does it." Lily looked at John for a minute trying to decide what to do. She preferred to have more information on the situation that triggered the problem. John didn't seem to be too forth coming. She asked, "What happened?" "I met a wonderful girl. Her name was Betsy and I was going to marry her. She came here for a visit and Beth came by. I had discovered that Beth was a natural submissive by accident and she wanted to explore that aspect of herself. Betsy took charge of the situation and the three of us ended up having a wonderful time. Beth fell deeply in love with Betsy. Betsy left shortly thereafter. She was killed in the Middle East. Beth flipped out and hasn't been the same since." Lily nodded her head. She suspected there was more to this story than John knew. She was about to go in when Beth called out, "Master, breakfast is ready." He answered, "Slave, fix my plate and take it out to the patio. Then return to the kitchen and fix two more plates." "Yes, Master." Lily looked at him, "Why did you have to be so explicit?" John answered, "If I don't tell her to eat, she doesn't. She won't sleep without a command." "Wow." John nodded, "Yes. I'll go around back and start to eat. I'll order her to get the door and let you in. From then on, you're on your own. I'll be in the RV after I've finished eating." "Okay." John walked around the side of the house to the patio. His plate was on the patio. At least he had beaten the ants to it. He called out, "Slave, open the front door and let her in. You will follow her orders as though they come from me." John dug into his breakfast only to realize that she had failed to bring out his coffee. He was about to order her to bring him a cup and remembered that Lily was here. He couldn't interrupt them now. He finished the breakfast without coffee. He cleaned the plate as well as he could and set it on the chair. He opened the door of the RV and sat inside watching his house and Ed's house. Undoubtedly everyone in town knew that he had a visitor. He wondered which of his neighbors would be over to investigate first. He was fortunate that Ed was the first to come out. He stepped out of the RV and crossed the street. He waved, "Hi, Ed." "Hello John. How's she doing today?" "I don't know. She's still strange." Ed pointed to the RV, "So who's your visitor?" John smiled, "Lily, she's another servant of the Goddess. She's a healer." Ed looked at John with a funny expression. He pointed to John's chest, "You mean she has one of those?" John nodded. Ed had figured out a lot on his own over the past few months. John asked, "You wouldn't happen to have some coffee, would you?" "Sure. Come on over." It wasn't long before they were sitting in Ed's living room drinking coffee. John decided to bring up a topic that hadn't been discussed since the day they all went to the university. He asked, "How's Kelly taking all of this?" "Not very well. She's been very upset about Beth." "Does she still want Beth as a wife?" Ed looked out the window for a minute thinking about it. Kelly had not talked about that subject for several weeks now. Each time she saw Beth, some small part of her died. Ed answered, "Well, she hasn't talked about it lately. As far as I know, she still wants Beth for her wife. I think she feels guilty right now. She's afraid that she'll take advantage of Beth's condition." "I can understand that. I'm terrified that I'm abusing her in some fashion." Ed stated, "Do you know how hard it is when I watch over her while you're gone? She's running around naked and all I can think of is doing it with her." "Tell me about it." Ed laughed, "You must have the worst case of blue balls in the world. Why don't you come over here and visit Kelly sometime?" John shook his head, "I'm not sure that's a good idea right now. Speaking of Kelly, any idea who she's identified as a second husband?" Ed blushed for the first time that John had ever seen. It was clear that something embarrassed him. He wouldn't look him in the eye, "You ask tough questions. I think you'll have to ask her." John looked puzzled for a moment and then the light went off in his head. He was the prospective husband. He stated, "Well, if it is the person that I think it is, then you two will have to move very slow. Can't really offer until Beth is better." Ed looked relieved. He really didn't know how to broach the subject with John. He couldn't imagine John being interested in them, but Kelly thought differently. He answered, "That's our thinking." John nodded, "Wise move. I guess I had better get out to the RV and wait for Lily. I have no idea how long this is going to take." Ed asked, "Do you think that she is going to help?" "If anyone can, Lily can. I met Lily over four years ago. I didn't call her, she came here. She didn't even know I was here until she pulled up in front of the house. Something called to her and she came." "Wow." John returned to the RV. Days passed while John watched his own house. He could see activity over there and knew they were both alive, but he had no idea what was going on inside. He ate all of his meals in town. He slept on the bed in the RV. Then, in the middle of the night a hand touching his shoulder woke him. He looked up and saw Lily. She looked tired, but she smiled down at him. "You might want to go in the house with me. She's up." John slowly climbed out of the bed. He felt dirty. The shower in the RV was very small and it was difficult to wash effectively. He had worn the same clothes now for almost a week. He followed her out of the RV and into the house. Beth was sitting on one of the patio chairs that had been brought into the living room. She smiled up at John when he entered the room. "Hello John." "Hello Beth." John examined her closely. She was clothed and her hair was combed. Her eyes sparkled again. Her smile was genuine. He added, "You're looking good." "Thanks," replied Beth. She looked over at Lily for a minute and then stated, "I guess I've been a pain in the ass." "I would prefer to say that you weren't yourself for a while." Beth sat there for a while as though searching for something to say. She took a deep breath, "I was waiting for her to return." "I know. We all knew." "I want to thank you for not taking advantage of me. I remember everything you did. Most importantly, I remember the things that you didn't do. It must have been hell living here with me naked all of the time." "Just remember that we love you." "We?" "Yes, we." "Who are the others?" "Ed and Kelly." "I hardly know them. I know they took turns watching me when you were gone. Kelly took me to work in the morning and brought me home at night. I don't think they love me though." John smiled, "next time you see them, watch them closely. They both love you very much, more than you can imagine." Beth frowned, "They only saw me at my worst." Lily interrupted, "Beth, you might want to talk to them tomorrow." John added, "I think that would be a very good idea." They talked for a little longer about different topics, all of them trivial and non-threatening. Finally, John suggested that every one get to bed. He offered the ladies the bed in the bedroom. He would sleep on his sleeping bag after taking a well-deserved shower. When he had finished his shower, he walked past the open bedroom door. The lights were out, but he could see both women wave goodnight to him. His sleeping bag was in the dining room. Settling onto it, he had the best nights sleep since Betsy died. It was well after sunrise that he woke. It took a second for him to realize where he was. Looking around, the first thing he noticed was the two women sitting in lawn chairs watching him. He had not put on any clothes after his shower. He stood up and stretched. "Good morning, ladies." Beth smiled, "Good morning, John." Lily frowned as her eyes took in all of the scars that covered his body. His medallion hung around his neck. The sight of it made her check hers with a quick touch to her chest. She stated, "I think your service is much rougher than mine." "No. I've just been stupid about mine." "I'd have had to treat my patients in a burning building in the middle of a shootout to end up looking like that." John laughed, "Been there, done that, and I've got the scars to prove it." Beth came over to him. She proceeded to point out each scar and tell the story behind it. Lily watched with a wide-eyed expression of disbelief. John wondered if she had memorized his medical history. When she finished, she turned to Lily. "Betsy used to consider them his medals of valor or his badges of courage." Lily nodded, "I can understand why. You've really had it tough, John." John shrugged, "I take it like it comes." Beth kissed him on the cheek. She cooed, "I'm all yours if you want me." John nodded, "I want you. Don't ever worry about that." Beth asked, "Now?" "Not yet. I want us to take our time." John shook his head. He looked over at Lily and then back at Beth. He stated, "I have to go today. Something big is going to happen west of here. I've known something was going to happen for two weeks now, I just didn't know where I needed to go." Lily looked up at him in shock, "You've felt it too. It's been driving me crazy." Beth interrupted, "You've told me several times that something big was going to happen. Do you know when?" John nodded, "Yes, in two days." Lily wondered how he knew, but decided this wasn't the time to follow up on that. She recognized the seriousness of the situation. She stated, "When I came through Colorado I stopped at the town where we met. I ran into Jed Hart. He's the guy that runs the camping supply store." John's eyes flicked over to his walking stick. He stated, "I remember him well." Lily continued, "He was packing up a bunch of stuff. Complained that something was happening and he needed to be ready." John whistled, "Three of us going there? Wow, this must be big." Beth was sitting there listening to what they were saying. Lily had ordered her to take a two-week leave of absence from work. She had spent a week of that time with Lily and still had a week left... She shrugged, "I'm going." John looked up in surprise. "What?" "I'm going with you guys." Lily frowned, "Are you sure?" Beth stated, "I'm a trained doctor. If there is something this big, they are going to need trained doctors." John nodded, "Okay. If you are sure that you are up to it." Beth stated, "Yes, I'm up to it." Lily was still thinking about Jed. She suggested, "Can you go to the pharmacy and get some first aid supplies?" Beth looked outside for a minute. She decided it was time to prove to herself that she had taken control of her life, "Yes, I'll head down there right now." "Good." John stated, "I'll get dressed and packed. While you're at the pharmacy, I'll fix some breakfast." Lily listened carefully. She added, "I think we had better take two cars. There's no telling if we'll be drawn to the same area." "You're right." John nodded, "Let's get to it." The three separated and started on their individual tasks. John dressed and went outside to give his blood sacrifice. Lily went to the RV and started to straighten it up. Beth headed down the street to get first aid supplies. There was a knock on the door and John went to answer it. Ed stated, "I saw Beth heading down the street. Is everything okay?" "Yes, we are getting ready to head west. Something big is going to happen." Ed looked down the street. "So what's Beth doing?" "She's gone to get some first aide supplies. She's coming with me." Ed thought about it for half a second and then volunteered. "Can I help?" John paused to consider his answer and realized that it was really Ed's decision to make. "Would you like to come with us?" Ed smiled, "You bet. I'll call Kelly. She'll want to come too." John nodded, "Okay. I can't promise that you'll be safe. We could be walking into a riot for all I know." Ed shrugged, "I'm not asking to be coddled." John smiled, "Then you better get packed." "I'll be right back." Ed turned and raced across the street. John finished packing up his backpack. He took his walking stick apart and packed it in the backpack. He moved into the kitchen and started to prepare breakfast. He did a mental count and realized he was cooking for five. Checking the refrigerator, he saw that he only had six eggs. He guessed that it was pancakes, sausage, eggs, and coffee. John had just finished laying out plates with the food when Ed, Kelly, and Beth returned. He asked Beth to get Lily. They were all silent as they ate breakfast. Kelly kept looking over her plate at Beth with a happy little smile on her face. She was ecstatic to see the doctor acting like herself. Ed was happy to see Kelly happy again. John and Ed washed and dried the dishes. Each man was lost in his own thoughts; John wondering about what they faced and Ed wondering about Kelly and Beth. The women were busy dividing the first aid supplies into two sets; one complete set for them and a small set for Lily. John kept feeling the urge to leave grow. Finally, he could stand it no longer. He gathered everyone, "We have to go now." John and Ed sat in the front with John driving. Beth and Kelly sat in the back with Kelly holding Beth's hand. They pulled out of the driveway followed by Lily. John drove without a map. He took the roads that demanded his attention. He actually had no clue where he was heading so he couldn't plot a course. When they stopped for gasoline, Lily joined them and told him that she was being pulled in a different direction. The caravan split at a highway near the western end of Arizona. They drove until they were outside of Los Angeles. It was getting dark and every one was getting tired. John pulled into a hotel and shut the engine off. He sat back and relaxed. The tension that had been driving him all day had finally dissipated. He turned to Ed, "What do you guys want to do about sleeping arrangements?" Ed looked in the back at Kelly to see what she had to say. She shrugged her shoulders like she didn't care. John added, "I really don't want us to get spread out. I'd like to know that when things go south, that we are together." Ed nodded, "We either share a room or get connecting rooms." Beth spoke up, "Let's share a room. I'm so tired I don't care." "Okay." John got out of the car and went into the hotel. He got a room with two double beds. The room was located in the back of the hotel and on the first floor. They grabbed their suitcases and filed into the room. Kelly looked around at the tired people, "I hate to say this, but I'm hungry." "Same here." John suggested, "There's a chain restaurant across the parking lot. Let's go there and grab something. I'm exhausted and just want to get back here and sleep." After dinner, every one returned to the hotel. John took a very quick shower and walked out of the bathroom naked. He didn't even notice the looks from the others in the room. There wasn't an out of the way spot for him to use his sleeping bag. Lying down on one of the beds, he fell asleep. He woke to a sucking sensation on his cock. He looked down to see Beth's head bobbing up and down on his cock. Her tongue was active in licking the head of his cock. Because of the continuous excitement of watching her naked and the long dry spell without sexual release, he erupted very quickly. She swallowed his cum. He was recovering when Beth moved up to lie beside him. She smiled, "I couldn't wait." "That's okay," answered John. He put an arm around her as he rolled to his side in a spooning position. He looked at the other bed to see Ed and Kelly smiling over at him. He smiled, "Okay you guys, it's your turn." Ed laughed, "sorry, you're too late. You missed last night and this morning." John glanced down at Beth, "No wonder you couldn't wait." Beth blushed, "Who said that I waited until now?" "Oh." They lay in bed for several more minutes. The urge to go started growing in John. He stated, "We need to get ready to go." The others groaned, but they all got up. Four naked adults moved around the room taking care of their morning business. There was lots of good-natured touching as they got in each other's way. It wasn't long before they were ready to leave. John went around to the front office to pay for the room while the others loaded the car with their luggage. Ed drove the car to the parking lot of the restaurant to wait for John to join them. They went in as a group. Hours later, John was driving in the inner city of Los Angeles. He drove as though looking for something. They were in a part of the town that was extremely rough. Gangs, drug dealers, and prostitutes walked the streets. Every other store was a pawnshop, bar or liquor store. Iron bars covered every window. There were very few police in the area. Both Beth and Kelly looked scared. Ed was uncomfortable and wondered into what kind of situation they had gotten themselves. John stopped the car in front of a seedy looking hotel; a single story building that had been built in the fifties. Clearly, it had gone without a single repair since then. John pulled into the parking lot. When he got out to go into the office, Kelly leaned forward and locked his door. The people in that place scared her. He came back in a couple of minutes with a smile on his face. They had charged him for the room by the hour. He had negotiated the price down to two dollars an hour, rather than the five that was requested. They opened the door to the room he had rented. Inside the room, a horrible smell hung in the air. The furniture was ripped and the bed was worn. There were no towels in the bathroom. The lock on the door didn't work properly. The ripped and torn curtains were hung crooked. Beth looked around, "We can't stay here." John knelt down and opened his backpack. He removed his walking stick and assembled it. When he had finished, he looked around at the faces of the others. He sighed, "This is where we have to stay. It is the only safe place in ten miles. Kelly nearly screamed, "Safe? We're surrounded by thugs. They're going to kill us in our sleep." Beth echoed Kelly's sentiments. Ed adopted a wait and see attitude, but he wasn't happy with the choice of hotel. The conversation carried on around John. While they were talking, he took his hunting knife and cut the legs off a pair of jeans. He removed his pants and put on the cutoffs. He removed his shirt. He waited until everyone calmed down before stating, "I'll be right back. I promise you that we won't be disturbed." He went outside and looked around. A couple of people were hanging around the open doors of several rooms. He started walking along the walkway in front of the rooms. He could smell the sticky sweet smell of marijuana billowing from open doors. A smallish Hispanic man, steel hard body covered with tattoos, stepped in his path. John nodded, "greetings." "What you want here?" asked the man. His stance was aggressive. There was a dull look of meanness in his eyes. "It's what I don't want that is important." The man stepped back and looked over John. His eyes took in all of the scars. He recognized bullet and knife wounds from long experience in dangerous streets. He glanced over at the walking stick recognizing it only as a weapon. He decided this wasn't a guy to be taken lightly. "What is it that you don't want?" "I don't want to be disturbed." "And if you are?" John looked in the man's eyes and smiled. He stated, "We're in the room on the corner. Pass the word." The man stared at John for a long moment. He nodded, "Okay. No one will bother you." John started to turn and then turned back. He stated, "I may have need of your services tomorrow." The eyes narrowed, "What services?" "You'll see tomorrow," John turned and walked back to his room. He shut the door without ever looking back. Inside the room, everyone crowded around him as though seeking the safety that he seemed to provide. He stated, "We won't be bothered. Now lets get this place cleaned up. We'll move a chair to the door and hook it under the door handle. Flip the bed up so that it covers the window. I have the sleeping bag here and we'll open it up and sleep on it." "All four of us?" "Yeah. It'll be fun." ------- Chapter 22 Kelly dreamt that she was riding in a small fishing boat in the middle of a massive storm. The boat was purple. The waves were pink and they seemed to reach the sky. Her stomach tightened as seasickness threatened to overtake her. She was trying to find a life preserver that fit her, but her breasts were so huge that all of them were too small. Throughout, the boat seemed to rock in every direction. She was shaken awake by Ed. He was shouting, "Get up Kelly." She sat up thinking she must still be dreaming. The floor was moving and then it hit her. She screamed, "Earthquake!" Beth and John were seated on the floor getting calmly dressed. They seemed to be in no hurry. Ed saw that Kelly was awake and handed her some clothes. She accepted them and started dressing. She was rushing and tripping over herself as she struggled to stand on the moving floor and pull on her jeans. Ed looked around at the room and laughed, "John, you're right. This is the safest place to be. I bet this place has survived a hundred earthquakes." John shot a serious look at Ed, "Exactly." "What now?" "There are people that need our help." It didn't take long for them to get ready. The floor finally stopped moving. John went to the front door and opened it. The four of them walked out. They were greeted by the sounds of sirens and the screams of panicked people. John looked down the walkway and saw addicts streaming out of the rooms. Another couple that had rented a room for a morning tryst had run out naked and screaming. John motioned to the man he had talked to yesterday. The guy came running over with a freaked out look on his face. John turned to him, "I can use your services now. Collect all of the pain killers, amphetamines, and sedatives that you can find." He turned to Beth and Kelly. "We need the first aid supplies." He turned to Ed and pointed to the street. "Can you look up and down the street to identify where the problems are the worst?" As everyone went to perform his or her individual tasks, John stood there and watched. He knew that this was going to be big, but as he looked around, he realized that he hadn't known how big. Bridges had collapsed, buildings had fallen, and fires were burning some of the smaller structures. People wandered around in states of shock. A large number of them had minor injuries. He quickly loaded their stuff into the back of his jeep. The first one to return was the Hispanic. John turned to him, "I'm John Carter." The guy looked at him in surprise, "I'm Juan." John laughed, "John and Juan! What are the odds?" Juan nodded. "So what do you want all of this stuff for?" John stated, "You see those two women there?" "Yes." "They are the most important people in the world to me. One is a doctor and the other is a nurse. They are coming with Ed and me, but they will stay in the street treating people that we pull out of the buildings. I want you to stay with them and protect them. When they need medicine, provide what you can." Juan looked around for a moment, then replied, "Yeah, man. Sounds good to me." John nodded, "Good. They're back. Let's go." Ed pointed down the street, "There are a bunch of apartments down that way. I suggest that we go that way." As they passed each building, John and Ed checked them out for possible victims. At the door of a lawnmower repair shop, they heard a moan from inside. The door was locked, but John broke it down. Inside, an overweight man was trapped under a shelf that had fallen. Ed and John knelt down and removed the engines from the shelf until it was light enough to lift off the man. They lifted the shelf off him and he slowly stood up. He couldn't stand without support. Ed helped the guy out the door and set him down on the ground away from the shop. Beth came over and performed a quick inspection. She turned to Juan, "I need a pain killer." Juan handed over a pill to Kelly. Kelly looked at the pill and exclaimed, "Damn, we don't have any water." The man on the ground stated, "I have a large thermos in the shop and bottled water. Take it." John had just come out of the building. He went back inside. After searching for a few minutes, he found the thermos. It contained black coffee. He poured a cup and drank it down quickly. He then poured the rest out. He filled the thermos with water from the water cooler. He was about to leave when he noticed a stack of paper cups. He grabbed those as well. Exiting the building, he handed the stuff to Kelly. Juan took it out of her hands and stated, "Kelly, I will carry this for you." Kelly smiled at him, "Thank you, Juan." In a short time, the man had been medicated. Beth wrote out a note that stated his vital signs, her diagnosis, the medication that had been given him, and the time at which she had been there. She signed the note with the phrase, 'John Carter Rescue Squad.' Then she gave the note to the man and told him to give it to the EMS personnel when they arrived. While the women were busy with the guy from the lawn mower repair shop, Ed and John went to the next building. There was no one there. They went to the next building. There were several people inside. They had been outside, but had returned into the building to check out the damage. John and Ed went inside and told everyone to get out of the building because they could expect aftershocks. The women caught up with them and checked out the people. She sent them down to the other guy to keep him company until an ambulance showed. Ed and John went to the next house just as another tremor hit. They could hear screams from inside the house. The movements were too violent to move, so they just lay down until they stopped. Once the tremors stopped, John looked up at the house and saw smoke. He shouted, "Ed, stay out here. When I find someone, I'll come to a window, and call out for you. I'll lower them to you and you set them on the ground out of harms way." Ed replied, "Anything you say boss." John ran in the building. It was already filling with smoke, but he was well away from the flames. They were localized to the kitchen so far. He came across a middle-aged woman unconscious in the living room. He pulled her to the front door. He yelled to Ed, "Come get her." Ed came in and pulled her out of the house. John went deeper into the building. There was a bedroom along the hall and two kids were inside. He broke out the window and yelled out, "Ed!" Ed came charging around the corner. John lowered the first kid to Ed and turned around to get the other. He then lowered the next kid to Ed. He shouted, "There's still screams coming from the second floor." John disappeared into the bowels of the house. It took him a minute to find the stairs. The smoke was getting thick. It was beginning to obscure his vision. He turned on the light of his walking stick. Climbing upstairs, the smoke got even thicker. He heard cries in one of the rooms. He entered it and closed the door behind him. There were three kids in this room. He went to the window and looked out. The window opened onto the roof of the attached garage. He broke out the window and helped the kids onto the roof. He shouted, "Ed, over here!" Ed came around the corner and looked up. He shouted, "Lower them as much as you can and then let go. I'll catch them." The three kids were quickly lowered to the ground. John shouted, "Are there more people in here?" Ed asked one of the kids how many kids were in the house. He was told there were seven. He shouted up to John, "I think there are two more." John ran to the window he had knocked out and climbed back into the house. He checked under the bed in the room and the closets. He went out the door and dashed across the hall to the next room. It was empty. There was one more room on this level. He dashed into it finding one little girl scared to death. He asked if there was anyone else in the room. She pointed under the bed. He looked under the bed and spotted the other child. He pulled him out from under the bed. He ran to the window and looked out. It was a full two-story drop. He picked up the kids and headed to the first bedroom. Flames were licking their way up the stairs. They went through the broken window. He shouted, "Ed." Ed was where he had been standing. He shouted, "I'm here. Have you got them?" "Yeah," replied John. He lowered the kids to Ed. Once Ed had put the last kid on the ground, John handed his walking stick to Ed. He swung off the roof and dropped to the ground. Taking his walking stick back, they led the kids around to the front of the building. Beth looked up from her patient. "She's concussed. There's nothing I can really do here. I've wrapped the head wound and written a note explaining her condition. I also wrote a second note for her in case she wakes." "Ok." John headed to the next building while Juan explained to the kids that they needed to stay with their mother. They had finally reached the apartments. It was a two-story building. Half of the rooms on the top floor had collapsed into the first floor. John looked at Ed and stated, "This is going to get messy." "No doubt about that in my mind." While John and Ed broke into apartments and pulled injured people out of the building, Beth and Kelly were busy taking care of the injured. Juan dispensed the medicine as requested and made sure that no one threatened the two women. He had watched John race into the burning building and it had amazed him. He watched now as both men darted in to and out of buildings. In some cases, the buildings collapsed as soon as they left them. They ran out of water very quickly. He handed the pills to the Kelly and told her that he would return. Kelly looked at the bag of pills and couldn't make out which was which. It was about ten minutes later that he returned with a wagon loaded with several cases of bottled water. Kelly looked up at him, "Where did you get that?" Juan shook his head, "Can you believe the 7-11 is still open? I told him that it was an emergency, but the bastard took every dollar I had." Kelly answered, "Don't worry. We'll make it up." Juan, "Hey, no need to do that. I'm not doing much to help. You gals are doing all the work." Beth listened while she patched up another victim. She stated, "The drugs are helping tremendously. These people are in pain. I don't know what we would do without you." Juan watched John and Ed dash into another room. He stated, "Can you believe how brave those two are?" "If we didn't need you here so much, you'd be right there with them." "No way. I'd be back at the hotel getting high right now." Kelly smiled, "But you aren't, are you?" "No, I'm not." The conversation was interrupted by a shout from John, "We've got a bleeder!" Beth jumped up and ran over to them. They were staggering as they tried to carry the woman and keep pressure on the wound. Running, she shouted, "Bring the supplies." Juan had already grabbed the supplies and was right behind her. Kelly grabbed a couple of bottles of water. As soon as Beth reached John, they set the person down. An artery was squirting blood despite the pressure that John was applying to it. Beth took charge, "Juan, put your hand here and press as hard as you can." Juan did what he was asked. She ripped clothes off around the cut and frowned. She stated to Kelly, "I need a needle with suture. There's some in the bag." Kelly quickly satisfied her request and handed the needle to Beth. Beth started patching up the arm the best that she could. The three of them bent over the patient working feverishly. Beth would give instructions to Juan and he would do his best to follow them. John ran back to the building and joined Ed in extricating another person from under some debris. It took them some time, but they finally got the person out. Both were sweating. They were exhausted from the heavy lifting. Weakly, they carried him to the sidewalk and told him that a doctor and nurse would be there soon. Summoning what little energy they had left, they broke into the next apartment. Part of the ceiling had crashed down in front of a bathroom door. The door was open and a very overweight woman was shouting to them to get her out of there. She was holding a towel in front of her, but it barely covered her. Ed went into the bedroom and found some clothes. He returned and threw the clothes to the woman. Dressing seemed to calm her down tremendously. The two men studied the ceiling as it covered the door. They couldn't see a way of removing it without causing the whole ceiling to collapse. John asked the woman to describe the bathroom to him. She described the layout. The wall that was accessible from the apartment was blocked by a sink and toilet. Even if they broke through the wall, the woman wouldn't be able to get out. The other side of the room was shared with the apartment on the other side of the building. John told Ed to stay there and talk to the lady. He went to the other side of the apartment complex and broke into the apartment behind the one with the trapped woman. As soon as the door flew open, he realized the hopelessness of his task. The ceiling had collapsed in this apartment. He looked, but the only person he could find in the apartment was dead. He ran around the building and rejoined Ed. John stated, "We are going to have to get some lumber and push the ceiling up and out of the way." They went out and searched through the rubble to find some appropriate boards. It took them some time, but they finally managed to find four 2 by 4's of the same length. They went back to the apartment and braced the ceiling with two of the pieces of wood. Then they applied the other two to push up the ceiling about an inch. They removed the first two leaving the others as the support. Inch by inch they raised the ceiling to where it was finally thirty inches off the floor. Bracing it with all four boards, they stepped back. John told the lady to lie down under the ceiling. He and Ed grabbed an arm each and pulled her out. She followed John and Ed out to the street. The men collapsed. Juan came up to them with a pair of cokes. He was covered in dried blood and looked almost as bad as some of the victims that they had pulled out of the building. He stated, "Here, drink these. The doctor said that you needed water and sugar. This has both. I offered to get you some stimulants, but she said that might interfere with you later on today." The men drank the cokes and took the time to recover their energy. They had visited almost three-quarters of the apartments on one side of the building. Juan stood next to them, "You guys are working hard." "Thanks Juan. How are things going over there?" Juan looked at the ladies, "An ambulance has come by several times and taken away some of the worse cases. That doctor is amazing. The nurse seems to be able to read her mind and hands her stuff before she even asks for it." Ed nodded, "Looks like you've been busy." Juan looked down at himself. The blood was dried, but he expected to be covered again shortly. For the first time in a long time, he felt proud of something that he had done. He looked up, "The ladies are doing most of the work. I'm just helping out where I can." John laughed, "That's what we're all doing." John and Ed stood up and headed into the next apartment. Juan went back to join the ladies. They were busy checking out the overweight lady that had just been rescued. She was in fine shape and suggested that they make some sandwiches in her kitchen. Juan volunteered to make the sandwiches and allow the two women a chance to rest. They had been working non-stop since the earthquake hit. The overweight woman decided to help Juan. The woman and Juan went into the apartment. It didn't take them long to assemble a half dozen sandwiches. She found a bag of potato chips and a six pack of cold cokes. Ed and John had entered the rest of the apartments along that side of the building; this included the upstairs. Most of the apartments were empty. In a few, they found people that were uninjured. They found two people that had been hit by flying debris and had minor cuts and abrasions. They told people to wait away from the buildings since there was still a chance for aftershocks. John and Ed went over to where Beth was working. They took one bottle of water and washed their hands. Without anything clean to dry them on, they just shook their hands until they were almost dry. It reminded John of the hot air dryers in some bathrooms. He remembered the instructions: Wring hands vigorously in hot air and then dry hands on pants. The problem was that his pants were filthy. When Beth finished washing her hands, they all sat down and ate. John stated, "I don't think I've ever tasted a sandwich this good." Ed concurred, "This really hits the spot." Beth and Kelly murmured their agreement around their sandwiches. They were starving. Juan watched them eating and started on his sandwich. There was no conversation while eating. When they finished, Juan stated, "You guys know that you've saved about fifty people already?" John stated, "We have the other side of the apartment complex to get through yet. Then there are the buildings on down the way. We'll probably get another hundred or so by the time it gets dark." "You guys are amazing. Dr. Hayes, I've never seen anything as incredible as what you've done here." Beth smiled, "You really know your drugs." "Hey, it's my business." Kelly stated, "You might find some other way to use that knowledge." Juan bristled, "Don't go getting all moral on me." Kelly shook her head. "I'm not getting all moral on you. You jumped right in and helped save a couple of lives. You have a rare gift. Not many folks can take dealing with blood and stuff. Most of them end up puking their guts out or they end up on the floor in a dead faint. Not you." John interrupted, "You might think we are hero's because we go running into a mess like this. We're not. We will do this for a day. Those two ladies are the real things. They save lives every day." Ed nodded, "We won't say that you will be a better person if you learn how to do the things they do. I will say that the world will be a better place." Beth added, "A lot of doctors are complete assholes. However, day in and day out they save lives." Juan grimaced, "Hey, you're talking like I can be a doctor or something. I'm a high school drop out." Ed stood up and stated, "I'm just an old cowboy who's spent most of his life on a horse chasing the dumbest animals in the world around. Four months ago, I started college. Just think about it, okay?" Juan stared at Ed. He couldn't decide if he should be angry or not. He shrugged, "I'll see." John and Ed headed around to the other side of the building. The damage on that side was much worse than had been the case for the street side of the buildings. The other three followed behind them; Juan pulling the wagon with their supplies loaded in it. John and Ed went through six apartments and couldn't find anyone. The ceiling had completely collapsed. They hoped the people who lived there had been elsewhere when it fell. It wasn't until they went into the seventh apartment that they found someone alive, but in serious shape. John came out and waved Beth over. Beth walked over to find out what he wanted. John was silent for a minute and then stated, "We found one alive but in very bad condition. As far as I can tell, the only way for us to get him out is to amputate his legs." Beth swore, "Damn. That's beyond what we can do here. We don't have a saw and I wouldn't want to do it with a knife." John shrugged, "You want to come in and check on him?" Beth nodded, "Might as well." They went into the room. Beth examined the man and talked to him. After several minutes, she turned to John. "Get Juan." John went out and called for Juan. Juan came running and went into the room at a gesture from John. He was in there for a few minutes. John waited outside as he considered what would be involved in a field amputation. Beth and Juan came out together. Beth stated, "Do you want my opinion?" "Yes." "Leave him there. Get someone to flag down an EMS vehicle. They can take a saw to the building and extract his legs. They might be able to save them." John nodded, "How about the bleeding?" "I put a tourniquet on it. Juan gave him some pain pills and water. His condition is not life threatening yet." John nodded, "Good. I wasn't looking forward to an amputation. Can Juan or Kelly make the arrangements for someone to flag down an EMS vehicle?" "Sure. Now you two need to get back to work." She also considered getting another person to sit here with the man and monitor his condition. John and Ed entered more apartments. They encountered more dead people and a few living. The destruction on this side of the building had been nearly total. In one apartment, the damage was relatively minor. However, there was a pile of debris on the lone occupant, a young woman in her mid-twenties. With considerable effort, they cleared the debris off her. She was unconscious for no apparent reason. Ed stuck his head out of the door, "Beth! We need you here." Beth came into the room and checked out the young woman. She noticed the telltale signs of repeated injections. She smelled the breath of the young woman and knew the problem. She looked up, "Go into the kitchen and see if there is any insulin in the refrigerator." John dashed into the kitchen. He came back waving a vial, "Found it." "Did you find a syringe?" John dashed back into the kitchen and looked around. He came back shaking his head. He handed her the vial and then headed towards the bathroom. He searched and still couldn't find one. He heard Beth call out, "I found one." John returned to her side. He waited for her to perform the injection. When she had completed it, he picked the woman up and carried her out of the apartment. He set her on the ground. The ground chose that moment to tremble. It was a very minor aftershock, but one that caused precarious balanced debris to fall within the building. Beth came over and stated, "I'm going to have to watch over her for a while. She's in a coma." "Okay." John headed down the walkway along the apartments. He passed all of the doors that were open. Ed had continued searching apartments while he had been left behind. When he hit the door that was closed, he went back to the apartment right before it. Inside he found Ed, kneeling on the floor and with a hand over his eyes. John could see the tension in his body. "Hey, are you okay?" There was an old man lying on the floor. Since the apartment was undamaged, it was likely that he had a heart attack. Ed shook his head, "I've never seen so many dead people in my whole life." John put a hand on Ed's shoulder. He stated, "What you are feeling is perfectly natural. I'm feeling pretty awful myself." Ed shrugged his shoulders, "It isn't stopping you." John looked away, "My greatest fear is that it will stop me one day." Ed turned around in surprise, "Really?" "Yes, really. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing that there are living people that need me." Ed took a breath. He thought about the fact there were living people that needed him. As much as he hated seeing another dead person, he would hate for a person to die because he couldn't take it. He stood up. "Let's get back to work. There's living people out there that need us." John smiled, "You're a strong man, Ed. I'm proud to call you friend." The two men went from apartment to apartment until there were no apartments left. They went on down the street. They searched buildings as they encountered them. They went through every room in each building. As they went, they pulled people out of the buildings in all states of health. Some were critically injured. Others were completely healthy. Most were in between. By the time the sun set, they had covered nine streets. They found themselves at a bridge that had collapsed. John noticed a crawl space and climbed into the rubble. The light on his walking stick led the way. He met a man who was working his way out. The man played his flashlight over John for a second and then aimed it away. "There's a little girl back there." John replied, "Do you want me to keep her company until you return?" "I'm not coming back." "Why?" "She's dying and there's nothing we can do to help her." John's first reaction was to berate the man for not staying with the little girl and comforting her. Then he looked at the man more closely and saw that haunted look on his face. He had been pushed too far already. He nodded, "I understand. I'll go to her and talk with her until she dies." The man had tears in his eyes. "I've seen too much of that today." John put his hand on the man's shoulder, "Friend, go and help more people. Many confused people need help too. You needn't deal with the dead or dying anymore. Let me shoulder this burden for you." The man hung his head and cried, "Thank you." John went the way from which the man had come. After twenty feet, he came to a crushed car. In the car was a frightened little girl that looked at him. She seemed relieved for the darkness to have been banished for the time being. He inched his way over and saw her situation. He knew it was hopeless. The bridge had collapsed the car on the lower half of her body. There was nothing left below the waist. The only reason she wasn't bleeding to death quicker was that everything was crushed flat. He looked at the little girl, "Hello. I'm John Carter. Who are you?" "I'm Cindy." "How do you feel Cindy?" "I don't hurt. Everything is numb." John smiled, "I didn't mean it that way. I meant how are you feeling?" "I'm scared." John nodded. He asked, "What are you afraid of?" "Dying." John took her hand in his and held it. "That's nothing to be afraid of. I died once for almost four minutes." "Really?" she asked. Her eyes were as big as saucers. "Yes, really." "What was it like?" John's voice was gentle, "Cindy, close your eyes and I'll tell you all about it." Cindy closed her eyes and John started describing his experience. He talked for a long time about what he felt and how it seemed to him. When he finished, Cindy was smiling at him. He stated, "Are you still afraid?" "No." In a very calm voice, John told her, "You can slip away now." Cindy looked up at him, "Thank you." John nodded, "Thank you, Cindy." She passed away even as John thanked her. John closed her eyes. He sat there for a moment, then smiled upwards and waved. He knew that she could see him. He waited a little while longer before he crept out of the collapsed bridge returning the way that he came. When he came out, he was shocked at the throng of people around the bridge. There were bright lights shining on him and people moving towards him with microphones. Amongst the cacophony of sound, he was able to make out one question, "Are you John Carter?" He answered, "Yes, I'm John Carter." The press descended upon him. He handled the questions the best that he could. He had not realized that Beth had included a note identifying their group as the rescuers with people she had treated. He attempted to make sure that they understood that he was only the figurehead of a very brave group of people. However, they had already talked to Beth, Kelly, Ed, and Juan. They had also talked to a dozen people who had joined them as they had worked. Some people had run errands to get supplies as needed. Others had walked up and down the line checking on injured people. Still others had flagged down ambulances and made sure they had picked up the most critical people first. A police officer, just as tired as them, finally gathered the rescuers and helped them get away from the press. Tired and hungry, they were deposited at a shelter where they could get a hot meal. Finally able to sit quietly and not feel rushed, they ate their meal in silence. It had been a long hard day. John looked around the table. Beth was nearly asleep. Her clothes were covered with blood and torn in places. Kelly was looking numbly off into the distance. Juan sat there shaking his head. His clothes were covered in blood. He had a few cuts on his hands. He had a black eye that he had received while holding a patient down. Ed looked the worst. He had cuts, scrapes, and bruises on his arms and face. His clothes were ripped. As each finished their meal, they stood up and walked over to the beds. John was left alone at the table. He decided to go to the restroom before getting in bed. As he walked over there, he encountered the man that had been in the bridge. The man put his hand on John's shoulder, "I saw what you did for the girl. It was the most moving thing I've ever seen." John stated, "Thank you for letting me be the one to do it." The man reached down and grabbed the chain on the medallion. As he pulled the medallion out, the chain snapped. John stared in horror at the medallion. He looked up at the man, "That can't be fixed." The man smiled, "Yes it can. Just go to the place where you got it." "That's not possible. You don't know where I got it." "If I remember correctly, it was in a park on Midsummer's Day around noon. She gave it to you." John stared at the man in shock, "What?" The man set the medallion in John's open hand. Closing John's hand around the medallion, he stated, "Be there at noon on Midsummer's day." John looked down at the fist that now held the medallion and then looked up. The man was no longer there. Numbly, he went into the bathroom and then back to the bed. It took him a long time to fall asleep. The medallion was warm in his pants pocket. ------- Part 2: Mantle Of Aries ------- Chapter 1 ... to open that door behind which lies a frightening strength. All he knows is what all people know. He knows the strength that flows into the body when pushed into a rage. Fearlessness comes and allows him to lash out at all around him. He knows the regret following devastation and hates the harm caused by such an unthinking fury. There is the guilt that comes afterward. Rage is not the only key that enables the power to escape. Fear for others allows one to perform heroic feats of strength. The parent, out of fear for their child, is strong enough to lift a car. There is the survival instinct that allows one to run for miles when chased by an enemy. There is the competitive drive that can let loose this power and allow an exhausted athlete to complete the race. There is the sacrifice that can save many at the expense of self. The soldier throws himself on the grenade to save his comrades from injury or death. He knows that the power is neutral. It can be used for good and for evil with equal ease. It is a two edged sword. Unlike a real sword, he can not be trained in the use and mastery of this tool. Without training, the power can not be aimed to achieve good ends. Hence, it is a power that must be contained by an iron will. Only specific circumstances can destroy the will that binds this power and it is in those circumstances that it is most destructive. Destruction aimed at others will turn and become self-destructive. This he knows in the same way that others know, from experience. The trail from last night's campsite to today's destination was familiar to him. He had walked it five years before and little had changed. New generations of squirrels had come and gone, yet to his eyes they could have been the same squirrels he encountered then. It is a fact of life that a particular individual does not matter in the grand scheme of things. Nature can not operate in any other fashion. For nature to be robust it can not depend upon a single individual. To do so, would make it fragile. Only individuals value one over another. His walking stick made a soft thud as it struck the dirt. Occasionally, the walking stick would make a sharp click when the brass tip would hit stone. His pace was easy, but he approached his destination steadily. He would be there on time. An observer would consider him fearless, but he feared what he would find on his arrival. Would the Goddess be angered that he had allowed harm to come to his medallion? Perhaps it was time that he, like a squirrel, was replaced by a new generation. With such thoughts, he walked through the woods towards his destination. Then, with one step, he transitioned to that other place. The colors brightened, the sounds intensified, and the air was cooler. He took a deep breath through his nose, catching scents normally hidden to the human nose. The air hinted at mystery. He took a few hesitant steps, not recalling the way to the stream. A naked man stepped free of the cover provided by the trees. John recognized that it was the same man that had broken the chain to his medallion. The man was huge and built like a bear. Thick black hair covered most of his body. Broad shoulders and strong arms completed the resemblance. His flaccid cock, impossibly large, hung over balls the size of oranges. He gestured for John to follow. They walked along a faint path through the woods. John kept his distance. He feared the man, knowing that he could break John like a twig if he so desired. Soon, they arrived at a stream through a clearing next to the woods. This was the same place John had been raped by the woman. He looked for her, but she was not in sight. The man turned and looked at John. The flaccid cock had swelled with blood to a full erection. No human male could boast of such a huge erection. Before John had a chance to react, the man grabbed him by the hair and pushed him down roughly to his knees. His cry of outrage was stopped by the introduction of a rigid cock into his mouth. He struggled to get away, but the cock was relentless in its thrusting. He grabbed the balls that hung below the cock and squeezed. His efforts had no effect. He bit down, but it was like trying to bite through a steel rod. The cock forced itself deeper into his mouth. The cock inched its way down his throat. He started to gag, but the reflex was suddenly killed. Now the man used his hold on John's hair to rock his head on the cock. John's energies were spent trying to breathe rather than trying to escape. It seemed like hours that his mouth was ravaged before the man groaned and released his cum into his mouth. His throat worked of its own volition to swallow the man's cum. When the cock was finally pulled from his mouth, John attempted to speak. His attempt was cut off as he was spun in the air. His pants and underwear were torn from his body in one swift move. He struggled, but to no effect. He screamed as the cock penetrated his ass. It was pushed to the hilt in one rapid thrust. The pain was intense. It felt like a baseball bat had been shoved up his ass. He was spun around to find himself looking up at man. He watched as the man grunted as he thrust hard into his ass. He struggled to free himself from the man's grasp, but the grip on him was made of iron. The ass fucking continued for hours. His own cock began to erect. His mind rebelled, but his body acted on its own. The man grabbed John's cock and started to pull on it. His grip was hard and it felt like he was trying to rip the cock from John's body. The pulls on his cock were timed to coincide with the thrusts in his ass. Finally, John's body performed its' final betrayal. He shot cum high into the air. At the same time, the man unloaded his cum in John's ass. Each time the man pulled John's cock, John ejaculated again. Repeatedly, for at least an hour, John ejaculated into the air. Finally, the man stopped his actions and withdrew. With the cessation of activities, the man dropped John to the ground. John lay there, his balls in pain from the excessive milking they had received. His shirt soaked with his own cum. When John looked up, the man was holding his medallion in one hand. John reached for it. The man threw it in the air. John's eyes followed the flight of the medallion to the top of a huge cliff. John turned and looked at the man. The man pointed to the top of the cliff. He wanted John to retrieve the medallion. Afraid that he would be raped again if he hesitated, John decided to go after it without further prompting. John stood up on shaky legs. His ass hurt, his cock was sore, and his mouth tasted of cum. He was wearing a shirt and his shoes. His pants and underwear were gone. His backpack was still on his back. He walked to the base of the cliff and looked up. It seemed impossibly high. He glanced once at the man and then started to climb. The climb was easy at first. He took his time and conserved his energy for later. As he climbed, the footholds and handholds became smaller making the climb more difficult. Little cracks in the wall were home to scorpions and spiders. They crawled out and attempted to sting his hands. He used his knife to clear the handholds of the insects. As sweat started to run down his face and into his eyes, he had to work more carefully. It was with an initial sense of relief that the handholds became larger. Then, as he reached for one of them, he heard the telltale rattle of a rattlesnake. He held the knife to his body to warm it. With considerable caution, he lifted the knife up. The snake struck at the knife. In striking, the snake overextended beyond its ability to recover and fell over the edge to the ground below. More snakes were coiled on handholds above him. He repeated his actions, one handhold and one snake at a time. He finally came to a large ledge on which he could stand. Climbing onto it, he found a dead cat, its head crushed by a rock. It was a stripped tabby and his shoulders sagged with sadness at the sight. Next to the cat were three kittens. There was a tawny, a tiger striped, and a black kitten. The kittens would not be able to survive on their own. John removed his backpack and carefully placed the kittens in it. They fought and scratched at first, but he calmed them down by making gentle sounds to them. They were too young to be wild or to have gone feral. Their eyes had probably been open for only a day or two. He closed his backpack making sure that the kittens could breath and yet couldn't get out. As he moved around on the ledge, a rock came hurtling down. It missed him by mere inches. He signed a breath of relief at his narrow escape. He moved again and another rock flew past him. He had assumed the first rock was the result of something moving above him. The second suggested something a little more sinister. He looked up in time to see a man leaning out of a cave throw a rock at him. He ducked out of the way just in time. He looked around trying to decide what to do. Small outcroppings of rock dotted the wall of the cliff. He climbed sideways until the outcropping was between him and the man. Rocks continued to rain down upon him. The outcropping protected him from the rocks, but the handholds were tiny and far apart. He struggled up, the strain on his fingers almost beyond his ability to withstand. When he reached one outcropping he had to climb sideways to get beneath another. Those were nervous times as rocks fell around him. His progress up the cliff had slowed to a near stand still. Despite his seeming lack of progress, he persevered. Slowly he approached the cave from which the man was throwing rocks. He climbed towards the cave. He reached a crease in the rock face that ran next to the cave. He entered it and was then able to climb without fear of thrown rocks. The crease stopped a little above the mouth of the cave. He realized that if he left the crease, the man could reach out and hit him with a stone. That would end his climb. He reached out and grabbed the side of the cave. With an effort that nearly drained his remaining energy, he swung himself into the cave. The wild man inside attacked him immediately. John fought to subdue the man. The man fought to kill John. His eyes shone with a madness that denied any suggestion of rationality. As the man scratched, kicked, bit, and hit, John resisted. He grabbed John and tried to strangle him. John threw the man off. The wild man stumbled backwards out the mouth of the cave and fell to the ground below. John slumped to the ground breathing hard. His efforts had nearly drained him. He was tired, sore, and hungry. His eyes took in the cave looking for anything that could help him in his situation. There was nothing but loose stones. His attention was suddenly grabbed by a sound from deep within the cave. It was the sound of a person running. John stood up and waited, hoping that this person was more reasonable than the last. His hopes were dashed when the man immediately threw himself at John. The struggle was shorter as John was less willing to try to subdue the man. Again, the other man was only stopped when he was thrown out the mouth of the cave. This repeated itself as one man, or sometimes two men, ran from the back of the cave intent on killing John. He fought only to keep from getting killed. The wild men fought on until they were thrown to the ground below. He drew upon reserves that he did not know he possessed. He never intentionally killed the men, he only tried to subdue them. There came a time when he stood poised for the next man and no one came. It was over. He did not trust the peace enough to rest there. John went to the mouth of the cave and looked up at the top of the cliff. It was only ten feet above him. He started climbing. In seconds his arms began trembling with fatigue. His legs shook. He pulled himself up a foot. His fingers cramped as pulling up his weight stressed them. Pain shot through his arms. Sweat ran down his forehead and into his eyes. His vision blurred. He moved a foot up seeking some small outcropping or crack that would support his weight. Looking down only allowed more sweat to run into his eyes. He found a small crack and lifted himself up. He felt the rock above him with numb fingers as he searched for another handhold. He struggled to climb. Each foot of progress upward sapped his strength. For a well-rested man, this portion of the climb would have been easy. For a tired man, it was murder. He finally reached the top and pulled himself over. He lay there with his feet hanging over the edge. He didn't care; he was past caring. He lay there for thirty minutes before dragging himself upright. He looked down at himself. His scared legs were scratched and bruised. His cock looked like a bloody mess. His fingers were bloody stubs. A fingertip looked like it had been bitten off. The tip of a bone was visible through the meaty flesh of his finger. He looked around at his surroundings. He was on top of a mesa that rose impossibly high out of a forest. The plateau on which he stood was less than a hundred feet across. It was flat and featureless covered by scrub brush. There was only a single tree. He opened his backpack to check on the kittens. They were curled up and asleep in his pack. He looked over them and wondered what he would do with them. He had no milk. At least they had survived to this point in time. He put on his backpack and went in search of the medallion. It wasn't long before he found it lying on the ground near the center of the mesa top. He knelt down and picked it up. He looked at it and saw the chain had been repaired, but the medallion had changed. The man who had sent him on this task appeared next to him. He took the medallion from John and placed it around his neck. He stated, "John Carter, you have learned compassion and used it to help people. Now it is time for you to discover your strength and use it to protect people." John was bent over; his hands on knees as he listened. He couldn't catch his breath. The sweat ran in a river, dripping off his nose. At that moment, he didn't feel like he had any strength. The man smiled at him and then stated, "You have done well, it is time for you to rest, John Carter." He woke stretched out under a tree next to the clearing. He was rested and felt good. He was fully dressed with the clothes that he had been wearing, but they were clean and like new. His hands were healed. He slowly became aware of a low rumbling noise and a pressure on his thigh. He slowly sat up and looked down at his thigh expecting to find his backpack. Instead, he found a full-grown cougar. It was a beautiful example of its species. The tawny brown coat was thick and glowed with a healthy luster. He estimated that it was somewhere between 175 and 190 pounds. It was asleep with its head lying on his thigh. The low rumbling sound was a purr. His heart raced as he tried to figure out what to do. The very last thing he wanted to do was to surprise the cat. A cat that big could do significant damage to an unarmed man. He searched for his backpack hoping that he could get to his knife. It was too far out of his reach. His walking stick was on the ground next to him. He grabbed it and tried to use it to move his pack closer. The movement must have woken the cat. The pressure suddenly disappeared from his thigh and the purring sound stopped. John slowly turned his head to find the cat sitting and watching him. John stayed frozen in place, but the cat never moved. Deciding it was time to take a chance, he stood. The cat watched him stand, but made no other movement. John took a hesitant step away. The cat stood and approached him. With a sudden move, the cat rubbed his head against John's leg. John was astounded. He took several more steps. The cat followed him, staying within a hand's reach. When he walked, the cat followed. When he stopped, the cat sat down. When he took a step forward, the cat just watched. John decided to continue his planned trip into the town where his car was parked. If the cat came with him, so be it. If the cat attacked, there wasn't much he could do except fight back. Attacking the cat would only serve to start trouble. He stepped over to his backpack and opened it. He peered inside to see if there were any kittens in it. There weren't. He closed the pack and swung it into place on his back with practiced ease. He turned towards the trail and set out. The cat glided beside him, keeping pace easily. John watched him out of the corner of his eye. He reached the end of the trail and stepped onto a sidewalk. He expected the cat to return to the woods. The cat, despite John's expectations, stayed with him. In a few minutes, he was walking down the street. John wondered how the cat would react to city noises. A car drove by, but the cat paid no attention to it. His destination, the restaurant where he met Lily, was only a few feet away. He looked down at the cat and pondered his situation. Should he go into the restaurant? If he did, would the cat follow him in? Then he decided that he didn't care, it was foolish to let a cat dictate his life. He opened the door to the restaurant and stepped in. The cat squeezed between him and the door so that they entered the restaurant together. John caught his reflection in the same mirror that had hung there on his first visit here. He knew enough this time to expect changes and not to spend much time marveling over his new appearance. He made a quick inventory, his beard was totally white now and he had two streaks of white in his hair. He wondered what changes had occurred that he couldn't see. He walked over to the counter. No one was visible. Hesitant to enter the kitchen, he called out, "George? Martha?" It was several minutes before Martha came out from the kitchen. She looked a little flustered. Her face and upper chest showed clear signs of a sex induced blush. As she walked, she tucked her blouse into her skirt. She looked over at him for a second and then a smile spread across her face, "Is that you John?" "Yes, ma'am," replied John. He was pleased that Martha remembered him. She shouted out, "Hey, George. Get out here. It's John Carter." George came out of the kitchen. He extended his hand across the counter in a friendly gesture, "Hello, John. It's good to see you again." John took his hand and shook it. George actually looked younger than the last time he had seen him. He smiled, "It's good to see you again. How are things going?" "Good." "Great. I saw Lily a couple of months ago. She looked really good." George and Martha smiled at the memory of the unexpected vacation. Martha asked, "Can we get you something to eat?" John nodded, "That would be great. I'll take soup and an egg salad sandwich. My friend here, will take six pounds of raw meat." George looked around and didn't see anyone. John pointed down at the cat. It was seated on the floor next to him. George leaned over the counter, "Jesus H. Christ. Where did you get that?" John shrugged, "He followed me here. Do you know of anyone that lost a pet cougar?" "No. I don't even know anyone crazy enough to have a pet cougar." John shook his head. "Strangest thing in the world. I woke up this morning and he had his head on my leg purring like a freight train. He hasn't let me out of his sight since then." George laughed, "Coming from anyone else, I wouldn't believe that story. Knowing you, I have to believe." Martha asked, "Will he attack me if I try to pet him?" John shrugged, "I really don't know. I haven't tried to pet him or anything myself. I thought that by coming into town, he'd run away. He didn't." George shook his head, "Well, I'll fix you a bowl of soup and an egg salad sandwich. I'll see what I've got that he'll like." John sat down on one of the chairs. The cat leaned its head against his thigh and started purring. John slowly edged a hand down and rubbed it behind the ears. The purr grew even louder. Martha watched the cat fascinated. She whispered, "It sure seems tame." "I have no idea if it is or not. I'm working on the assumption that it is wild" George came out with a couple of dishes. He set the soup and sandwich in front of John and a huge plate of raw hamburger on the counter next to him. John grabbed the plate and set it on the floor. The cat started eating right away. John turned his attention to the vegetable soup. He remembered the last time he had come here and Lily had served him. He took a bite of his sandwich and made an appreciative sound. He glanced down at the cat. It had finished the whole pile of hamburger. He looked up at George and smiled, "I think he likes your lack of cooking." George laughed, "First time I've ever gotten that as a compliment." John laughed, "Well, I like your cooking." Martha kept watching the cat. She turned to George, "Can I get one?" George shook his head, "If we get a cat, it's going to be a whole lot smaller than that one." John finished his lunch and leaned on the counter. He looked around the room and noticed some changes. The floor had new tile, the walls were painted, and the chairs replaced. He stated, "You guys have made some major changes around here." George smiled, "After you're last visit here, we looked around at the place and realized that we had let it get a little run down. I guess it was the cleaning you did there in the kitchen. Anyway, we started taking a week vacation every once in a while. While we are gone, we have a crew come in to fix things up. Business has picked up and we're doing better than ever." John smiled, "Good. That's very nice. I bet you enjoy the vacations too." Martha smiled, "Yes. It reminded us why we got married." George laughed, "Yeah. We had gotten to the point where I was the cook and she was the waitress. We had forgotten that we were husband and wife. You and Lily helped remind us of that." "How's that?" Martha giggled, "It might have been all of those sounds coming out of the RV." John blushed and wondered how a fifty year old woman's giggle could embarrass him so easily. He wondered if they could have heard them outside the RV. They must have been standing right next to it with their ears pressed up to the window. George smiled, "What can I say? You two were hot." John shook his head, "Well, I'm glad to know that we helped. As much as I would love to stay here and chat, I had better get going. How much do I owe you?" "Don't worry about it." "Nah, my friend here ate a lot." "How about fifteen dollars? Does that sound fair." John shook his head. His calculation suggested that it was closer to twenty. Rather than fight about it, he agreed, "Okay, sounds fair enough." John pulled eighteen dollars out of his pocket and set it beside his plate. He stepped away from the chair. He bent down and picked up the empty plate setting it on the counter. He turned to the George and Martha, "See you guys later." "Alright, John. You take it easy." John walked to the door and opened it. The cat slipped out with him. He shook his head, "Well, cat. I guess I'm going to have to learn how to take care of a cougar. I wonder how much you are supposed to eat each day." The cat didn't bother to answer him. He just walked beside John as if it was his natural place. John watched the cougar out of the corner of his eye, expecting it to suddenly get tired of its adventure and return to the woods. John walked to the gas station where he had parked his car. The owner came out wiping some oil off his hands. Without looking up, he stated, "Well, that was five days at five dollars a day. Twenty five dollars." John fished twenty-five dollars out of his wallet and handed it over to the owner of the gas station. The owner, after counting the money, looked up and saw the cat. He jumped back in panic, "What in the hell's that?" John smiled, "A cat. Do you know anyone who's lost a pet cougar?" "Hell no. All of my friends are sane." The owner backed away into the station the whole time he answered. He closed the door behind him. He watched John through the glass window. John smiled at the owner and opened the door of his jeep. He decided that it was time for him and the cat to part company. The cat had other ideas. The cat jumped into the car and climbed into the back. The cat took up almost the entire back seat. John stared at the cat for a minute and decided that he had just been adopted by the cat. Climbing into jeep, he set his pack and walking stick in the passenger seat. He settled himself behind the wheel and closed the door. The drive to Jed Hart's store was only a half an hour. John spent the half-hour reviewing the events of the day. He had been raped, his medallion had been fixed, and he had become the pet of a cougar. Apparently four days had passed. Of all the events, being adopted by the cougar was the weirdest. He looked in the mirror to see the cougar looking out the window. When he arrived at the store, he pulled out the medallion from under his shirt and examined it. Now there were two of them fused together along a common edge. One medallion was unchanged. The other medallion had a picture of a mesa in the center that looked very much like an erection. Above the picture were the words "A Mesa" while below the picture were the words "To Conquer." The other side was identical except the order of the words was inverted. He said them aloud to himself, "A Mesa To Conquer. To Conquer A Mesa." He sat there pondering the meaning of the dual medallions. He guessed that he now served both the God and the Goddess. A thousand questions flooded through his mind. Unfortunately, he had no answers. He had gotten used to his life over the past five years and wondered if this meant that it was going to change in a major way. John got out of the jeep, taking the walking stick with him. He was going to slam the door shut, but the cougar followed him out. He waited until the cat was completely out of the car. He cringed at the thought of a having a full-grown cougar with its tail caught in a car door. He went into the store accompanied by the cat. As before, John was overwhelmed by he diversity of goods within the store. He walked the aisles examining the goods. He stopped to examine a gadget that looked like it might be useful, but he lifted it and decided that it was too heavy. The all-metal construction added a lot of weight. He put it back on the shelf. The cougar batted at it making it swing back and forth. He was startled by an irritated voice behind him, "John Carter." He turned, "Jed Hart." "What are you doing here?" He had returned from his last trip because he felt that a new medallion owner was going to stop in the shop. He had to be here. John had already been provisioned with what he would need. John shouldn't be here. John stated, "Just came out of the park again." "Why did you go back?" "The chain broke on my medallion." Jed's eyebrows rose in disbelief. He argued, "Don't you know that's impossible?" John pulled out his medallion and showed it to Jed. Jed bent closely and examined it. He looked up in awe, "I've met everyone who's ever gotten one of those. You are the first I've met that has two. How did it happen?" John looked out the window. His hand idly stroked the cat behind the ears. He stated, "A God broke it at the earthquake. He sent me back to the park to get it repaired." "How do you know it was a God?" "He met me in the park." John shuddered at the memory of his rape. "You've met two of them," Jed observed. He examined John carefully and saw the slightly haunted look that comes from close contact with the Gods and Goddesses. He glanced down at the cat and didn't even react. He'd had a medallion wearer come in with a wolf and another with a bear. He stated, "Stay here. I have something for you." John looked around at the goods. The cat lay down on the floor, a paw resting on his foot. John looked down at him and said, "I guess I need to find a name for you." The cat looked up at him. John knelt down making sure that he didn't disturb the cat. He looked at the cat and asked, "How about Monty?" The cat looked away. John suggested a number of cat names with the same lack to positive response. As a joke he tried a different one. "How about Rover? Do you like Rover?" The cat purred and rubbed his head against John's knee. The cat actually seemed to like the name. John laughed, "Okay, I'll call you Rover." Jed returned carrying a bundle of gray cloth. He shook it out and John saw that it was a cloak. John stood up to see it better. Jed stepped behind John and set the cloak on his shoulders. It hung down to the middle of his calf. John closed the solid silver clasp. The cloak fit perfectly. The workmanship was outstanding. In a specialty store, it would be worth thousands of dollars. Jed explained, "The material is waterproof and flame resistant. It has a hood that you can pull up. You can walk through a rainstorm and not get wet. You can walk through a fire and it will protect you for a while. The fabric is a neutral color and will blend into just about any background." John examined the cloak. He could tell that it would help keep him warm in the winter and cool in the summer. He turned to Jed, "Thank you. How much is it?" "No charge. Just like before." John shook his head, "I don't feel right just taking it." Jed frowned, "You serve in your fashion. I serve in mine." Understanding dawned on John. Jed couldn't charge him for this anymore than he could take a reward for rescuing someone. John nodded, "Well, I hope that I don't have to come by here again." Jed was brusque, "You'll never be back this way again. Who would ever get three medallions? Now you need to get on your way." John turned and extended his hand. Jed took it in a surprisingly strong grip. As they shook hands, John stated, "Thank you, Jed. May you journey far and enjoy each step." "Thank you, John. May your road be good and the weather kind." ------- Chapter 2 John sat in his jeep staring at the main entrance of the Federal Building in Phoenix. He didn't want to enter, but knew he couldn't postpone it any longer. For the past three days, he had been driven by the urge to come to this place. He got out of the car slowly and looked at his walking stick. He wouldn't be allowed to bring it through security, but he decided to try it anyway. Rover leaped out of the car and sat next to him. He closed the door. People stared at him as he walked to the building from the parking lot. He cut an imposing figure at 6 foot tall and 200 pounds. His snow-white beard reached the middle of his chest. His hair, brown with the exception of two white streaks, hung down to the middle of his back. He wore his cloak over his blue jeans and blue work shirt. Rover glided along beside him. He entered the building through the regular doors. He had no idea how Rover would deal with the revolving door and didn't want to chance a major scene. Walking to the security gate, he handed his walking stick to a surprised guard. He stepped through the metal detector without causing a beep. Rover followed right behind him. The guard stepped up, "Excuse me, but animals are not allowed in here." John held out his hand for his walking stick. The guard automatically handed it back to him. John stated, "You try telling Rover that. He doesn't listen to me." The guard frowned, "He's supposed to be on a leash." John laughed, "That's a wild animal, not a pet. You don't do anything to that animal unless it wants it." "It's with you." "Yes, but I don't own it. It followed me out of a forest and hasn't let me get out of its sight." Rover sat down and stared at the guard. It licked its paw. The claws were clearly visible. The guard stared at the cat in fear. John headed towards the elevator. The cat followed along, pausing only once to look over its shoulder at the guard. At the elevator, John studied the directory. One office stood out from all of the others. He pressed the up button and was surprised when the elevator door opened immediately. He stepped into it, followed by Rover. He pressed the button to the fifth floor. The elevator door closed. Rover looked around at the sensation of moving up and made a funny chirp. The chirp was repeated when the elevator stopped. The door opened to three people waiting to get on the elevator. They all jumped back in surprise when they saw John and Rover moving towards them. Rover pushed one of the people out of his way in order to walk beside John. John walked over to the receptionist's desk and looked at the young lady seated there. She was talking on the telephone and from the sound of the conversation it was a personal call. John waited patiently, looking around the room as he stood there. Rover wasn't quite so patient. He put his front two paws on the desk and stood on his back legs looking at the woman. She started in surprise when she saw Rover, but didn't loose control. Calmly, she put the call on hold and looked at John. In a very matter of fact voice, she asked, "May I help you?" John nodded, "Yes, ma'am. I'm here to see Agent A. Moore." "Is she expecting you?" "I doubt it." John now had a clue as to the gender of the person that he was about to meet. The receptionist was taken by surprise by his answer. She had been expecting a yes or a no. She replied, "I doubt she will see you." John smiled, "Ah, I am positive that she will see me." The receptionist stated, "If you give me your name and nature of business, I'll see if she is available." John replied, "My name is John Carter. I'm here to include her in a conference call with Mike Holden." It only took a few minutes before John was led into the office of Ann Moore. Rover took a seat in the corner of the room. Without rising, Ann greeted him, "Mr. Carter?" "Yes, I take it you are Agent Moore." He looked at the name on her badge and saw that her first name was Ann. She nodded, "You stated that you have some business to discuss with me and Mike Holden." John nodded and then looked at the telephone on the desk. He asked, "Do I have to dial 9 to get an outside line?" "Dial 8." John turned on the speakerphone and dialed a number. The telephone rang once before it was answered, "Director Holden's office." Rover got up and looked on the desk to see where the voice originated. John answered, "This is John Carter, may I speak to Mike?" "Oh, Dr. Carter. He's in a staff meeting. Let me see if he'll take your call." The receptionist put them on hold. Elevator music played from the speaker. Ann stared at John as he sat there and smiled at her. Rover was sniffing at the telephone. His head jerked back when Mike's voice broke the silence. "Hello, John. How are you?" Rover looked at John and decided the speakerphone was safe enough. He got down and went back to the corner. Ann stared at the cat with a look of incredulity. It acted more like a bodyguard than a pet. "I'm fine. I'm talking to you on a speakerphone in agent Moore's office here in Phoenix. She's here with me." Mike stated, "Hello Ann." Ann snapped back to the conversation at hand. She was surprised that he knew her first name. Mike Holden was several levels above her in the FBI hierarchy. She replied, "Hello sir." "What can I do for you, John?" John paused for a minute, "Do you remember the item that brought us together?" There was a long moment of silence. "Is there a problem with it?" "Not really. I now have two of them." Mike was quiet for a moment. Then he asked, "Ann, would you describe the item to me when John shows it to you?" John reached under his shirt and pulled out the medallion. Ann looked at it for a moment. She looked confused, "It looks like two coins fused along a single side hung on a chain." "Did you say two coins fused together?" "Yes, sir." Ann looked confused. She didn't understand a word of this conversation. "Could you try to remove it?" Ann attempted to remove the medallion, but it slipped out of her fingers. No matter how many times she tried, she couldn't get it off. She stated, "I can't, sir." Mike's voice answered, "Excellent. John what can I do for you?" John was quiet, "I really hate to ask for you for this. However, I'm being driven to it." "What is it?" "I need credentials that will allow me to investigate things. I need to be able to call on law enforcement back up. I also need to be able to leave once the action is over." Mike was silent for a moment. He then stated, "I guess FBI credentials should suffice. Ann, I want you to meet Special Agent John Carter, our newest volunteer agent. He answers to my office." Ann looked shocked. This was not how someone became a FBI agent. She stared at John. Mike waited for a reply, "Excuse me, Ann. Did you hear what I said?" "Oh, yes sir." "I'll need you to set up credentials for him." "Excuse me, have you seen him?" Ann asked. Mike laughed, "You mean the long hair and weird colored beard?" John interrupted, "It's now a white beard and weird colored hair. Oh, and I dress weird too." Mike laughed, "I should have known. To answer your question, Ann, yes I have seen him." Ann was even more shocked. She asked, "Does he have a clearance?" Mike answered, "Yes, he's had a Top Secret issued from this office for four years." John looked surprised, "Really?" Mike answered, "really. I put the paperwork through after our first meeting." "Gosh, I didn't know." Mike laughed, "Well, I figured that it would come up sooner or later. Might as well save time." Ann asked, "Is there anything else I should know?" Mike answered, "Not that I know of." John answered, "No." When the call was over, Ann turned to John. She stared at him for several minutes, her eyes flicking over to Rover. She asked, "Who are you?" "I'm John Carter. I thought I introduced myself already." Ann looked up exasperated. "No, I mean who are you that you can call a director of the FBI and have him drop everything to talk to you?" John thought about it for a while. He realized that he didn't know how to answer that question. His urge had been driving him to this action. That it might be unusual never occurred to him. He chose to answer the question with a question, "Rather than me tell you, why don't you check it out yourself?" Ann picked up the telephone and dialed a number. She called down to her assistant to start the paperwork that would be necessary to get him identified as a special agent. Once the call was over, she looked at the cat. She asked, "What is his name?" "Rover." "Isn't that the name of a dog?" Rover uttered a low growl and stared at Ann. "It is his name and he likes it. So do I," replied John. Rover moved closer to John and rubbed his head against his knee. John rubbed him behind the ears. The assistant, a prototypical looking FBI agent, came up to get John. John and Rover followed him down to a conference room where a stack of paper was waiting. As they went, Rover paused and looked in every office they passed. Once there, the assistant pointed to a chair, indicating where John was to sit. John sat in the suggested chair. He looked at the assistant. "I'm John Carter. My friend here is Rover. Who are you?" "I'm Agent Fred Hopkins." "Okay, give me the papers and I'll fill them out." Fred pursed his lips. Ann had requested he take as much time in filling out the forms as possible. Towards that end, he was to verify as much information as he could. She wanted time to find out more about this guy. He replied, "Ann told me to fill out the paperwork and perform as much of a background check as possible while we work." As Fred asked questions that appeared on the form, he made telephone calls to validate the information. A simple form that could have taken five minutes to complete took close to two hours. Finally, they reached a question that concerned identifying marks, including tattoos and scars. Fred asked, "Do you have any identifying scars or tattoos?" "Yes." "Describe them." John frowned, "I think it might be much quicker for me to show them to you and let you describe them." "Why do you have that many?" "Yes. Just about every inch from my neck down to my ankles is scarred." "Okay. So show me." John proceeded to strip. Fred stared as the shirt came off and the number of scars on his chest was revealed. John stripped out of his pants and Fred really stared. He stated, "I think we had better take Polaroid pictures of this rather than try to describe them. We often do this when a subject has a full body tattoo. Would you please stay here while I get a camera?" "No problem." Fred stepped out of the room to fetch a camera. As John stood there, he heard Ann's voice at the door. She was saying, "If this is Mike's idea of a joke, I'm going to kill him. Nobody can survive all of that shit he's been through." She stepped into the room and saw John standing there. John turned to face her. He stated, "Fred left to get a camera. He decided it was easier to take a picture than to describe all of the scars." Ann stared at the scars realizing that everything she had read was true. Her eyes flickered down to John's cock and she took a deep breath. This guy was built. Realizing that she was staring, she looked back up at John. She was surprised that he wasn't embarrassed by her examination. She stated, "Excuse me, I'm sorry I didn't know you were undressed. I'll come back later." "No need. Say what you wanted to say." Her eyes kept sliding down his body. She cleared her throat. "I don't want to make you uneasy." John looked at her funny, "Uneasy? Oh you mean because I'm nude. Don't worry, I don't embarrass easily. I may be nude, but I'm not naked. I would understand if you were uncomfortable though." She shook her head. She stated, "I was going through some of the information that we have on you. I didn't know rescued the head of the secret service, a congressman from Texas, the aide to the Senator from Colorado, and two FBI undercover agents. That's just the people in Austin. You wouldn't believe who your team rescued in the earthquake." John looked surprised, "I did? When?" She looked up at his face and shook her head. She asked, "You don't even know the people you saved?" "No, there are too many of them and usually things are pretty wild. Sometimes I'm rushed off to the hospital." Ann looked down at his cock again, "Well, I now understand how it was that you were able to call Mike." Fred returned to the room. He left the door half-open as he ran into Ann. "Oh, excuse ma'am. I just needed to take a picture of his scars." Ann answered him without looking. "Don't bother. I have the actual medical history. You can finish the rest of the form without verifying the information now. When you're done, prepare the identification card and issue him a gun." John laughed, "Sorry, I don't need a gun." Rover bored with the proceedings, wandered out of the room to explore the offices. Nobody noticed his departure. Fred stated, "Well, if we don't need photographs, then you can get dressed now. As far as a gun, you will have to meet minimal levels of proficiency with one. Many agents don't carry guns." "No I don't." John started to dress. Ann watched him the entire time. She was a little disappointed that he was dressing. She smiled to herself as she decided that her husband was going to get a workout tonight. John finished dressing and sat down at the table. Fred sat in his chair. In less than ten minutes they were done with the paperwork. Ann sat at the other chair. She was trying to decide what to do with John. She didn't know if she should consider him assigned to her office or not. Her instructions had been rather vague. Fred left the room to check on the ability to create the credentials at that time. Ann looked up at Carter, "Do you want a desk here?" John thought about it, "No, too much hassle trying to get in and out of this building with the cat and my walking stick." Ann looked at where the cat had been seated. She stated, "Speaking of which, where is your cat?" John looked around puzzled. "That's strange. I wonder where he is. This is the first time he's ever let me get out of his sight." "Don't you think you might want to go find him?" "He'll either come back or he won't. Maybe he finally got tired of me." Ann looked at him as if he was slime. "He's your pet." John stated, "I keep telling people this and nobody believes me. He's a wild animal that has been following me around. We've learned how to accommodate each other, but he is not my pet. When he is ready to go, I will not stop him." Ann really looked shocked, "You mean that is really a wild animal." John smiled, "Yes." "Oh, my God. We had better find it." "If you insist." The two of them headed out of the conference room. John went back in the direction towards her office. She went in the other direction. John was halfway down the hall when he saw a tail sticking out the door of an office. He walked up to the room and stated, "Hello Rover." The cat turned and looked at him for a second. Then it turned back to study the black dog lying on the floor. The dog was wearing the harness of a seeing eye dog. Rover was confused by the clear interdependence between man and animal without the hint of magic. The man seated at the desk indignantly stated, "Her name is not Rover. Her name is Missy." It was only then that John observed the harness on Missy. John performed the introductions, "Missy meet Rover. Rover, that is Missy. Missy is a seeing eye dog." The man behind the desk was surprised to learn there was another animal in the room. He had not heard it approach and that was odd because his hearing was very well developed. He asked, "There is another dog in here?" "No. A cat." The man behind the desk thought that Rover was a weird name for a cat. However, he didn't make an issue of it. Instead, he asked, "May I pet it?" The cat jumped on the desk with a considerable thud. Some of the papers flew off the desk and the dog jumped up. The man reached out about eight inches above the desk and encountered a leg. He slowly moved his hand up and up. His face was wrinkled in an expression of confusion. "What kind of cat is this?" "It's a cougar. I think he was rather curious about your seeing eye dog." The man's hand finally reached the head of the cougar. With a gentle touch he examined the cat. Having heard of cougars, but never encountering one, he was amazed at the size of it. The man inquired, "It was curious?" "Yes, Rover adopted me. I guess he was curious about another animal that appears to have adopted a human." "You don't think there might be another explanation." "No, I don't. If Rover was hungry, I doubt that Missy would still be alive." John looked at the man for a second, "Well, I guess I better let Ann Moore know where Rover is. She was kind of worried when he wandered off." "You're not leaving him here, are you?" John shrugged, "I don't really tell him what to do. I don't think he'll bother you." "If you haven't noticed, I'm blind. It makes it rather difficult for me to defend myself." Rover purred for a second and then jumped off the desk to stand by John. John stated, "Well, I guess he wants to go with me. Take care of yourself. Nice to meet you Missy." The man behind the desk reached down and petted his dog. He shook his head wondering with whom he had just talked. He guessed that it wouldn't be that difficult to find out, after all, how many guys were there in the office with a cougar. John returned to the conference room with Rover. Fred was waiting for him. "Where did you go?" "Oh, Rover wandered off. Ann was a little nervous about that." "Well, we are ready to make your badge." John smiled, "That's great. Let's go." The two men went down the hall to a small room in the back of the office complex. There was a camera, a backdrop, a fingerprinting station, and a desk with laminating equipment on it. It was a functional room with no décor or furniture beyond what was necessary. John stood on top of a pair of footprints on the floor facing the camera. Jeff stood behind the camera and took the picture. A positive with four identical pictures of John slide out of the camera. Jeff cut out one of the pictures and placed it on a card. John walked over to where Jeff was laminating it. Rover watched the whole process and then went to where John had been standing. John noticed, "Hey, Fred, I think Rover wants an ID too." Fred snapped a picture and laminated a card for Rover. When he had finished, he slipped the cards inside carrying cases with badges and handed them to John. John showed Rover his card, but Rover didn't look too interested. John returned to Ann Moore's office where she was waiting for him. They went through a very quick swearing in ceremony. Despite the informal manner in which it was performed, the ceremony affected John emotionally. After the ceremony, Ann asked, "Anything else that you need?" John frowned and thought about the question. He wasn't sure where the words came from, but he heard himself say, "I need a copy of all of the files on the amputation murders." Ann sat back surprised in her chair. She asked, "How did you know about them?" John shrugged, "I just knew. Don't question it." "They aren't in our jurisdiction. The Salt Lake City office has it." John leaned forward and stated, "Well, have them send copies of the files to my house. He's going to strike again. I need to know all that I can before I go after the guy." Ann sighed, "I'll see what I can do." "Thanks. Anyway, I've got to go now." Ann stared at him as he stood. He carefully adjusted his cloak and grabbed his walking stick. With a nod and a smile, he headed towards the door. She wasn't quite used to being dismissed by an agent in her own office. She was about to say something, but she glanced down at the cat. She swore it smiled at her. John went directly to the elevator and pressed the down button. It opened immediately and this time he wasn't surprised. He stepped into it, followed by the cat, and punched the button to the ground floor. Rover didn't react this time to the sensations of moving. When the elevator reached the ground floor and the door opened, John held it open until Rover had exited. He then followed the cat to the exit. He had taken a large step today. He had gone from saving individuals from their problems to saving society from individuals within it. He didn't even try to predict the consequences of his action. ------- Chapter 3 In Arizona, the temperature in September can easily be over a hundred. At night, it cools down. If you are a native, it can feel cold. The nicest times of day are the early morning and just after dusk. The worst time of day is three in the afternoon. The air, in most places outside of Phoenix, is very dry. A simple mister can lower the effective temperature by fifteen degrees. The natives of the area do not try to get a tan, it is forced upon them. The men wear long sleeve shirts and blue jeans, rather than shorts and t-shirts. It is possible to get a burn through a white cotton shirt, if the material is thin. They wear hats that keep the sun off their face. Despite these precautions, the hands and face can get very tanned. The chances of getting a melanoma on exposed areas of skin are very high. The sun in Arizona is very intense, even in September. However, if one wants to get a suntan, then the only good time to lay out in the sun is early morning. A naked Beth, Kelly, and Ed were relaxing on reclining lawn chairs in Ed's backyard. Beth and Kelly had nice tans that covered their whole body except for the outline of a bikini. Ed's hands and face were tanned, but the rest of him was a bleached white. Today was the first time they were able to sunbathe in the nude. Ed had finished installing the privacy fence the day before. He had installed it at the insistence of the ladies. He wondered where they had gotten tans, but then realized that both of them lived in apartment complexes with swimming pools. Kelly looked over at Ed, "You better put some sun block on your cock. I'd hate to see that get burned." Beth laughed, "It would be a pity if you couldn't use it for a week. I've gotten used to getting it regularly." Ed groaned at the thought of a sunburned cock. He couldn't imagine anything more painful. He reached over and put on more sun block. They had been teasing him ever since they got undressed. He hoped that he would find an opportunity to get back at them. He chuckled to himself at the idea of dying his cock bright red and looking at the disappointment on their faces when he showed it to them. Ed looked at the two women and he knew he was the luckiest guy in the world. They were very different in build and looks, but both of them were gorgeous. He thought about it for a second and decided he was one of two luckiest guys in the world. John could have all of this too. He asked, "So how are we going to ask John to join our little family?" Kelly answered, "You're going to ask him." "No I'm not." Surprised at the flat refusal, Beth glared at him. "Why not? He's your best friend." "Yes he is. Moreover, I want to keep him as a friend. If I ask him and he says no, then that could really hurt our friendship." Kelly and Beth looked at each other with a smile. They understood they had stumbled into an area of male sexuality where they did not belong. Kelly asked, "So how would you go about it?" He smiled, "So how did you go about it with me?" Kelly laughed, "If I remember correctly, I told you what I wanted and asked if you were interested in staying with me in light of my desires." Beth asked, "When did you tell him that?" "She told me that the day I met you at the hospital," replied Ed as he remembered that day. It had been a very pivotal day in his life. He added, "that was right after she told me that she was going to have you for a wife." Beth shot a look at Kelly, "Why did you say that?" Kelly blushed, "When John suggested that you were a natural submissive, I looked at you for the first time as a woman rather than a doctor. I liked what I saw and knew at that moment that I wanted you." Beth looked down at the ground, "Ever since my recovery from my breakdown, I've not been a submissive. Are you disappointed?" Kelly shrugged her shoulders. She had not really thought that much about Beth's submissive side. She had been more interested in the idea of a dedicated and caring partner. She answered, "No. That wasn't exactly what attracted me to you." Ed had watched the exchange. Every time the subject of John arose, the two women always talked around it until it wasn't the subject anymore. Individually, both of them would admit that they really wanted John to join into the family. He asked, "So how are you going to broach the subject to John?" Kelly sighed, "I don't know." A voice coming from behind startled them. "You might try telling him directly." Beth had jumped out of her chair at the sound of the voice. She spun around shouting, "John, don't sneak up on us like that!" John smiled, "Feeling a little guilty, are we?" Ed watched with glee as the women squirmed. He stood up and walked around to where John was standing. He winked at John and laughed, "I'm going to go get some tea. I might take a walk around town, since there's no telling how long you'll be here. I'll be back after a while." John watched Ed disappear into the house. He sat down in the chair that Ed had just vacated. He looked over the two naked ladies, one on each side of him. They were both very beautiful. He had been in bed with Beth many times and had enjoyed each time tremendously. He had seen Kelly naked many times, but had never even kissed her. He asked, "So what subject is it that you want to broach? Life? Career? Money?" Kelly answered directly, "Marriage." John knew what she wanted, but he decided to have a little fun at their expense. He smiled, "Ah, so you are finally going to marry Ed! I'd love to be your best man!" The breath burst out of Kelly in an explosive manner conveying her frustration. She stated, "No, I want you to marry us!" John replied, "Well, I did become a Druid when I received my doctorate. I can perform the ceremony, if you wish." "Are you being dense on purpose? I want you to be one of my husbands." John laughed in a friendly fashion, "I'm putting you on. I knew exactly what you meant. Remember, you told me once that you wanted a wife and two husbands." Kelly frowned, "I did? When?" "The first time that Beth spent the night at my place. You got into an argument at my place and told the whole story." Kelly remembered the occasion. She had argued with Betsy and had blurted out her desires. Ed had been a little upset with her after that. She stated, "I had forgotten." John nodded, "Yes, you had. So tell me about this marriage concept of yours." Kelly explained how she wanted to be in a marriage of four adults. In particular, a marriage comprised of two men and two women. She wanted everyone to make love to every one else in the marriage. She wanted it to be a marriage in every way, with full economic support of each other, a common house, and children raised in a loving environment. John asked, "Why does it have to include sex between members of the same gender?" "It will prevent jealousy." John wasn't sure that he fully agreed with that, but it sounded reasonable. He nodded, "It sounds like you've thought about it a lot." "Yes, I have." John asked the critical question, "So who are the others that will be in this marriage?" "It would Beth and Ed," answered Kelly. She looked at Beth for support. John turned to Beth, "What do you think of this idea?" Beth hesitantly smiled, "I like it." "What do you think of me joining in?" Beth smiled openly, "Oh, I would love it." John mulled it over. He asked, "Well, what does Ed think?" Kelly answered, "He's okay with it." "What do you think, Beth?" Beth frowned and looked at Kelly. She knew that her opinion differed from that of Kelly. She stated, "I don't know. I don't think he's too wild about the idea of making love with a man." Kelly wanted to kill the idea that Ed wouldn't go along with her idea very quickly. Kelly interrupted, "He said he would." Beth stated, "Saying he would do it and wanting to do it are two different things. I'm sorry Kelly, but we can't start this out with a half-truth." Kelly frowned. She couldn't deny that Ed wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the idea of sex with another man. She admitted, "The sex with a man part does bother him a little." John stood up and faced the two women. He stated, "I'll give my answer when all three of you have proposed to me. I'll accept that both of you have done so. That leaves Ed." Beth and Kelly sat there quietly thinking about what he had said. It was actually a very fair request. Kelly sighed, "Okay." John ended the discussion by stating, "I've got to go across the street to the house. Rover is hunting and he'll be worried if I'm not there when he comes back. Besides, I think you need to have a long talk with Ed." John left the backyard and headed across the street. He walked around to his patio and sat on the chair there. He watched the herd of goats gathered around the feeder that was located almost a mile away. He couldn't make out individual goats because of the distance, but he could see that they were placidly doing what goats do. He watched as the herd suddenly exploded. Rover had gotten one. He knew that because Rover never missed the slow moving goats. Feeding Rover had turned into a major expense. He had come up the idea of allowing Rover to hunt the goats as an alternative to the more expensive prospect of buying fresh meat from the store every day. He had bought the land, almost a hundred goats, and an automatic feeder. He had also set up four widely separated watering areas. The goats were there for Rover to hunt. He went in the house and fixed himself an iced tea. He took the pitcher out with him to the patio. The trick to living well in the Arizona heat was to drink lots of liquid. Sweat cooled and a lack of sweat killed. John was careful to always have a sip of water nearby. He returned to his chair on the patio and watched the horizon. Vultures were already heading towards the dead goat. He sat there drinking his iced tea wondering when Ed would finally come over. He started to think about how he felt about the proposal that Kelly had made. He had known for a long time that she was interested in this kind of marriage. When the issue first came up, he was happily living with Betsy and that wouldn't have worked for Kelly. When Betsy died, he knew he had become a logical fourth for the marriage. Still, his approach to the idea was to ignore it. Kelly was focused on making her dream come true. For that to happen, he and Ed would have to become lovers. He didn't really know what he thought about that. His only time with a male had been with the God and that had been more like rape. He thought about the experience. Some of the unpleasantness had been a result of the enormous size of the cock. Humans were not really built to deal with two-foot long cocks. However, most of the problem was that fact that he hadn't consented. His experience had been rough with no concern for his pleasure or feelings. The lack of concern wasn't out of maliciousness; a force of nature that made love to him. Morally, he guessed the experience taught him an important lesson. If a God could have sex with a man, then clearly the Gods and Goddesses didn't have a problem with sex between members of the same gender. He guessed the real question concerned having Ed as a sexual partner. He was closer to Ed than any other man. The experience during the earthquake had cemented a bond between the two of them. You can't be with someone when buildings are falling around on you without having a bond formed. From his perspective, he could do it. Odds were that it might never be as good as with a woman, but it could be pleasant enough to work. However, he wasn't sure that he wanted to do it. The last question was Ed. He wondered what Ed really thought of this. Kelly was so focused on her goal, that she was more than likely to ignore any real uncertainty that Ed might express. Ed might have his doubts and fears, but he would suppress them in light of Kelly's enthusiasm until it came time to actual act. At that point, things were liable to get messy. It was up to him to make sure that Ed understood what Kelly was asking him to do. Rover trotting home at a leisurely pace interrupted his thoughts. He saw John and changed his direction to head right towards him. The cat had already cleaned himself of the blood from his kill. It slowed to a walk as it neared the chair in which John was seated. John petted the cat as it walked past. Satisfied with the attention and the meal, it curled up in the shade. Rover would sleep for the next hour or two. John took a sip of his iced tea. The cool liquid in his mouth was refreshing and helped fight off his weariness. He was tired from a long drive that lasted most of the night. He had just returned from Utah on a scouting expedition. He was working out the details on how he would capture the amputation murderer. He knew the time and place, but he didn't have a clear idea of a plan. He was going to have to return next week and set things up. The sound of ice cubes rattling in a glass caught his attention. Ed came around the corner of the carrying his own glass of iced tea. He had only a single sip left in it. He swirled the class taking pleasure in the sound of the ice cubes rattling in the glass. Ed calmly stated, "Hello, John. I guess you shook up the women a bit." "Did they tell you that?" asked John. He was curious about the reaction of the women to his position concerning the group marriage. He imagined that they were probably arguing now about the difference of opinion between Beth and Kelly about Ed. "Nah, I watched from in the house. I waited a bit, got dressed, and then came over here." "Did you hear what we discussed?" "No, but I could guess." Ed looked off at the horizon. He sat down in the chair next to John. This was going to be a long discussion and it concerned a topic that he wanted to avoid. He didn't want to come out and say that he was okay with the idea of becoming lovers. The fact was, he wasn't sure how he felt about the idea of having sex with a man. Part of him was attracted to the idea and part of him was repulsed. He turned to John, "You told them that you wanted to hear it from me. Am I right?" "Yes, you are," answered John. He added, "I know that you don't want to say it outright until you get some sign from me about how I feel about it. Am I right?" "Yes, you are." John looked at his right foot. He decided to approach the subject in rather indirect fashion. He stated, "I've been raped twice in my life. The first time by a female and the second by a male." "Oh Shit!" Ed stared at John. "The thing about both times, they weren't about the sex. There was a violence and utter lack of regard about how I felt about it." John paused, "Now, you know how much I enjoy sex with women." "Yes, I do." "Well, getting raped by a female didn't interfere with my ability to get pleasure out of sex with a woman." "I can see that. They are totally different things." Ed knew that John really enjoyed sex with Beth. He knew that sex with Betsy had been an important part of his relationship with her. John turned the subject to the matter at hand. He stated, "Likewise, I don't think getting raped by a male will affect my ability to get pleasure out of sex with a man." Ed considered what John had said. He refilled his glass from the pitcher of iced tea as a way of masking his hesitation. He had to ask, "So do you get pleasure out of sex with a man?" "I don't know. I've never done it," replied John. He looked over at Ed. Ed suddenly laughed, "So here we are, two scared virgins. Neither of us wants to admit it. Damn, aren't we a pair?" "Yes we are." "Well, if I was to loose my cherry I can't think of a better man." Ed's stomach had reached his neck. His hands would have shaken if he hadn't had them held so tight against the arms of the chair. He watched John out of the corner of his eyes, waiting for some sort of reaction. "I agree. You'd be my pick." Ed relaxed a little. At least he hadn't been called a faggot. He took a deep breath and in a rush, stated, "I don't think either of us would want to be a virgin if we were to..." As Ed stopped in embarrassment, John completed it. "Yes, we had better do it with each other before I agree to what Kelly wants." "Right, if either of us hated it that would really screw things up with her concept of the group marriage." "Yep." Ed sat there very nervous. He really wasn't sure that he wanted to do it. If they couldn't do it or hated it, that would that end his relationship with Kelly. He didn't think he would survive a break up with her, she was that important in his life. He felt like he was about to step off the edge of a cliff. His voice gave away his fear, "When?" John looked at Ed for a minute. He could see that the man was not exactly at ease with the idea. He stated, "Look, neither one of us is really ready to do that now. I mean, we are both willing, but neither of us wants to do it." "That's true." "Why don't we wait until we want to do it? I know that Kelly is in a hurry to get things resolved, but it's better to wait until we know what we want than to rush in and ruin things." Ed relaxed, "I think you're right. It really would be much better to wait for a while. Do you think that we'll ever want to do it." "I don't know. I do know that the idea isn't as repulsive as it was before." "I know what you mean. I'm of two minds on the topic. A year ago I would have killed someone that even suggested the idea to me." Ed shook his head at how much his thoughts had changed. He was now considering doing things that were totally foreign to how he had been. John had grown tired of the topic. He changed the subject. "I'm going to Utah next week. I need someone to watch my back and you're the only one I trust. Why don't you come with me?" Ed was surprised at John's request. He wondered what was involved in this trip that he felt he needed someone to watch his back. He remembered the trip to California only too well. He had seen too much death and destruction there. Still, if John needed his help, then he couldn't refuse. He nodded his agreement, "Sounds good to me. What's your business in Utah?" "I'm going after a serial killer. He's a beast that preys on young women." Ed said, "Sounds as if it could be dangerous. What do you need me to do?" "I'll be working with the FBI, but I don't think I have much credibility with them. I'm afraid that when it comes time to move in on the guy, I'll be there all alone or with a single agent backing me up." "Why would you think that?" "Well, I have no track record in law enforcement. They are likely to think that I'm some sort of hero-wanna-be." John could understand why a law enforcement official would look down in disdain at an amateur detective. There were many people that had the idea that they could do better than a professional. He remembered the number of times that he had been trapped by some amateur scientist who wanted to explain some crackpot idea to him. "Do you think that heroics will be required?" John stated, "It will be if things don't go well. This guy amputates the limbs off the victim. Once they heal, he cuts off their head. I'd hate to end up as one of his victims if I'm there all alone." Ed had never heard of this killer. He couldn't imagine why someone would do what John had described. Surely, it couldn't be rape. He shook his head in disgust. "That is really sick." "I agree. That's why he's got to be stopped." Ed nodded, "Speaking of stopping things, I better get across the street. The women are probably going crazy by now." John smiled, "you bet." After Ed left, John returned to a problem that he had been working on for a long time. It was the cold fusion problem. There were only a few facts that seemed relevant. First, it had to be a natural geological phenomenon. In addition, the phenomenon would have to have enough hydrogen and deuterium for the fusion to occur. The last thing that he considered was that it had to be a slow process. A fast process would have burned out long ago. The fact that it was a slow process meant that it would not produce energy at a high rate. One might consider this a limitation, but there were several advantages to a slow process. In particular, there would not be excessive by-products such as gamma radiation and neutrons. In addition, it would have a long lifetime of use. Finally, a slow process could produce enough energy to power common low-energy devices. Clearly, one wouldn't want to use it to power an entire city, but perhaps replacing batteries would be a good idea. The important question was size. If it were too large, then it wouldn't be practical. His problem now resolved to a simpler one. That was to identify what kind of natural geological processes involved large quantities of hydrogen. There was no reason to assume that the hydrogen had to be unbound. He set to work going through various geological processes, eliminating those that didn't fit his profile. There were only a few options and one of them really stood out. He sat back and thought about it. The more he thought about it, the more he believed it. Now to prove it. He started sketching out an experimental setup that would allow him to test his hypothesis. He worked non-stop for the next forty hours. The result was an extremely simple device that was scalable to any size. His setup did not require any exotic materials. He stood up and looked outside. Dawn was breaking over the horizon. He went out into the yard and performed his normal morning ritual. He let fall to the ground two drops of blood. One was for the Goddess and the other was for the God. Rover woke up and watched him. Bored, he yawned and went back to sleep. John watched Rover and decided it was time that he got some sleep, too. He went into his bedroom; it was the one without a bed in it. He undressed and stretched out on his sleeping bag. He had hardly gotten on it before he was asleep. ------- Chapter 4 John sat on the steps of the porch that was part of a beat up wooden house. It hadn't been painted in years. What little paint remained was cracked or peeling off. The windows hadn't been cleaned in just as many years and were covered on the inside with newspapers taped to the glass. A casual passerby would have sworn the house had been abandoned for at least a decade. The only external sign that someone lived there was the oil drippings on the dirt driveway and the fresh refuse beside the house. He waited for the owner of the house to return. It was difficult to sit there, chills kept running up and down his spine. The wire he wore irritated his skin. Fortunately, his wait wasn't long as a beat up black Cadillac pulled off the road onto the gravel driveway. John watched the car as it stopped by the house. He stood up and walked towards the car. The owner of the car exited shouting, "Get off my property!" John held up his hands, one of them still grasping the walking stick. He shouted back, "Hey man. I'm here to pay damages!" At the mention of damages, the owner stopped, "What damages?" John slowly walked up to the guy as he explained, "Well, I stopped to take a leak over there. My cat jumped out and got one of your calves. Those are your cows in the pasture, aren't they?" "Yes. You say your cat got one of my calves?" He wondered what kind of cat this guy could have that would take out a calf. John approached close to the car. He nodded, "Yes. My cat killed one of your calves and dragged it up on top of your house." The owner looked up and found he couldn't see the top of the house. He walked part of the way down the driveway to see the top of the roof. When he was positioned in the right place, he could see there was a cougar eating a freshly killed calf. The guy looked up at the cat, "Jesus that's your cat?" John followed the man down the driveway. As he passed the end of the car, he could hear noise coming from the trunk. He took the time to examine the man very carefully. The man was in his early thirties. His teeth were a little crooked, he was a little overweight, and didn't look very bad. There was nothing threatening about him at all. He'd probably have a difficult time getting a date, but most women would probably talk to him in a casual environment. He could tell the man didn't have a gun on him. John answered him, "Yes it is." "He killed a calf and took it up on my roof?" The man didn't believe what his eyes were telling him. He was obviously flustered and struggling with the situation. John asked, "So how much are you going to charge me for the calf?" Greed fueled the man's answer. He had John over a barrel. He stated, "That's a prime calf. He's worth fifteen hundred." John knew that the calf could be replaced for three hundred. He didn't argue. He pulled out a checkbook and started to walk towards the car. The guy added, "It'll probably cost me another five hundred to get it off the roof." John nodded, "Okay. I'll make out the check for an even two thousand. I'll just write it on the back of your car, if that's all right with you." The owner's nervousness seemed to boil over into irritation. He stated, "No. Let's go into the house and conclude our business there." John turned and faced the man, "Well, its such a pretty pretty day today. I'd much rather stay out here." The owner acted even more nervously. He glanced at the trunk of the car. He suggested, "Well, lets go on the porch. The sun bothers my eyes a bit and I don't have my sunglasses on." John smiled, "Sure thing." In a car by the side of the road, Ed waited for the other passenger to make a call to their backup. When the other man didn't move, Ed leaned over to him and stated, "He said it was a pretty pretty day. Call in the reinforcements." Agent Fredricks turned to Ed, "We're here because his cat ate a cow!" Ed snarled, " He gave the code phrase. Send in the others." Agent Fredricks grunted, "If you're wrong, it's all your fault." "Get them here, now! If you don't, I'm going up there myself!" Agent Fredricks sent out a call to the backups. They were parked two miles away where they wouldn't be noticed. Even if they were noticed, they wouldn't be connected with this location. John started writing the check. He asked, "Who do I make it out to?" The man answered, "Henry Buckman." John wrote in the name and then completed filling out the check. With a flourish, he ripped it out of the checkbook and handed it to Henry. He stated, "This makes us even on the calf?" The man answered, "Yes, it does. I guess you can go now." John shook his head, "I can't go until the cat comes down from the roof." John's answer seemed to upset the man. Henry glanced at the car in the driveway and sucked in his lips. He wondered if there was a good way to speed things along. He was considering killing John, but didn't like the idea that others may have seen him here. "What's that?" asked John as a van pulled into the driveway. They watched as it pulled up right behind Henry's car. Henry stared in horror when four FBI agents wearing vests emerged. Ed and agent Fredricks ran up behind the van. Ed was struggling to run as he also carried a small ice chest. Henry started to run, but John grabbed him by the arm. He stated, "Stay right here. I don't want you going anywhere." One of the agents ran up to John and asked, "Where is she?" John pointed at the car, "I heard her in the back of the car." Another agent turned to Henry, "We need the key to open up the back of the car." Henry shouted in rage, "You can't do anything without a warrant. I know my rights." Ed knocked on the trunk of the car and stated, "There are FBI agents here. Is there anyone in here?" The thuds that emerged from the back of the car were loud enough that they could be heard on the porch. John stated, "Probable cause. You can search the car." In minutes, the car trunk was opened. Inside were two young ladies bound and gagged. They were sixteen or seventeen years of age at most. They stared up at Ed in terror, only relaxing when they saw Agent Fredricks with his FBI vest. Ed pulled off the gags on both women. The women didn't know what to say first. Their conversation was a confusing jumble of half uttered phrases, made even more confusing by the tears and sobs that burst loose uncontrollably. Ed was so touched that it was as if someone twisted a knife in his heart. Ed started to undo the ropes that tied one of them while Agent Fredricks helped the other woman. The ropes were incredibly tight and had cut off the circulation in the hands. As a result, the hands were swollen and blue. Any attempt to cut the ropes would cut the women as well. The two men struggled with the knots and slowly were able to get the women unbound. The women screamed in pain as feeling returned to their hands. The looks on the faces of all of the men there showed their disgust at Henry. He was quickly handcuffed, read his rights, and taken away to the van. On the way there, he shouted, "All I wanted to do was make them perfect. Get rid of those ugly arms and legs, like in the statues." Rover, hearing the screams, jumped down from the roof. John walked over to the women to see if he could help them in some fashion. Rover quickly joined him, apparently as upset at the women's pain as John. John knelt down and petted Rover on the head. Rover rubbed his head against the women's legs and purred. The presence of the cat took their minds off the pain and calmed them significantly. John looked up at the girls. He stated, "Ladies, I would like to introduce you to Rover." Almost as one, they replied, "Hello Rover." John added, "Would you like to introduce yourselves to Rover?" The taller girl ran a hand over the silky fur. "I'm Stacy Hutchinson." The smaller girl squeaked out, "I'm Sarah Smith." "I think Rover is happy to meet you." John turned to Agent Fredricks, "Give the girls your cell phone and let them call their families." Agent Fredricks and another agent, each gave their cell phone to the women. John stated, "After you've told them that you are all right, you might want to hand the phone back to an agent so that he can tell your parents where you are. I'm sure they're very worried about you." While the girls were talking to their parents, Ed and John were at the cooler taking out soft drinks and snacks. They opened the drinks and handed them to the women. They both smiled and took a big sip at the first opportunity. The look of joy on their faces was reward enough. Ed waited patiently with the snacks for the girls. He let them take their pick once they had finished their call. In the mean time, another car with two agents pulled up in the driveway. They were followed by a police car and an ambulance. The agents got out and stated, "We have the search warrant for the house." The ambulance personnel checked the women over thoroughly and found that both were fine. They wanted to take them to the hospital, but John told them to wait until the parents arrived. Normally, it was a two-hour drive, but they were being escorted by the local police. Consequently, they would arrive in an hour and a half. The activity at the house picked up into high gear. More people showed up to go through the house. There were cars parked all over the field as more experts arrived. The prisoner was taken by police car to the county jail. In a way, the removal of the prisoner released a tension that no one had really noticed. John, Ed, Rover, and the women were left alone. John retrieved a couple of chairs from the porch and placed them in a shady spot for the women. Rover lay over their feet and purred. John and Ed sat back and let the girls talk. They told each other how afraid they had been during the ordeal. They talked of the thoughts that had gone through their minds at the time. John was deep in thought as he watched the girls talk. They didn't know what would have happened to them if they hadn't been rescued. Their fears were of being raped and made into slaves. The reality would have been so much worse. He realized that he didn't want them to know what fate had almost dealt them. He excused himself and went to the house. John called out to the men in and around the house, "Everyone, please come here. I have something to say." Despite some grumbling about the unorthodox request, everyone gathered around John. He looked around with a very serious face. "I do not want those young ladies to know what would have happened to them if we hadn't rescued them. They are still children. If anyone says anything to them about amputation, I will see that you no longer work in law enforcement. Do I make myself clear?" Everyone nodded. As his eyes seemed to flash with a fire in them, John repeated, "Do I make myself clear?" Everyone immediately answered, "Yes, sir." "Everyone knows their assignments. Let's get to it." As John turned to walk away, he overheard one of the local policemen ask, "Who's the hippie reject with the staff and cape?" Agent Fredricks answered, "He's the agent in charge." A number of people turned at that announcement and stared at John as he walked away. One of them burst out, "You've got to be kidding!" "That's Special Agent Dr. John Carter. He answers directly to the director of the FBI. We've been working this case for three years, he cracked it in three days. For you guys that live here, he can carry out his threat. He saved the Governor's daughter in the California Quake last year." John walked away with a smile. He knew it was better to be underestimated than overestimated. He wondered which of the people they pulled out of the earthquake was the governor's daughter. He hadn't even know he had done that. John took another sip from the bottled iced tea. He grimaced and turned to Ed, "I just can't stand this bottled junk. Iced tea is supposed to be served in a glass with real ice, enough sugar to taste it, and a lemon wedge if you want lemon. This stuff tastes old and stale." Stacy grinned, "Can't you cast a spell on it? You are a wizard aren't you?" Ed burst out laughing. He asked, "Why would you think that?" Sarah answered, "Look at him. He's wearing a wizards cloak, he carries a staff, has a pure white beard, long hair with two white stripes, and has a cat as a familiar." "I'm sure you've heard that saying that if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's it duck. Well, he looks like a wizard, walks like a wizard, and talks like a wizard." Stacy pointed at John and added, "Ergo, Wizard!" John laughed, "no I'm not a wizard. I'm just a regular guy." Agent Fredricks interrupted, "He's the main character out of a science fiction book. One man armed with intelligence, intuition, and nerves of steel goes forth to conquer evil. He's the John Carter from the Edgar Rice Burroughs stories." Ed shook his head. "He's a regular guy that finds himself in irregular circumstances." John turned his head to face Agent Fredricks, "What can we do for you?" "I just wanted to let you know that the girl's parents will be arriving soon. I thought you might want a few minutes to prepare for their arrival. The house is sealed off to everyone but police. We've had a porto-potty delivered so you can use it if you want to use the rest room. There's a portable water stand over there where you can get a drink or wash your hands." "Thank you, Agent Fredricks. I'll walk back to the house with you." John stood up and walked over the where the agent stood. They returned to the house together. At the house, John asked, "Is everything in control here?" "Yes, the teams are doing their jobs." John looked into the house and saw the activity as agents were going through picking up hair and carpet samples. He had to know, "Did you find evidence that he's the amputation murderer?" "The sick fuck video taped it. There's no question that he's the one." John nodded, "I didn't think there'd be any doubt. I had to make sure that we had charges that would stick no matter what we found here. I'm sorry the young ladies had to experience the kidnapping." "We had no reason to get a search warrant." "Yes, I know," sighed John. He looked over at the two women with Ed. They were laughing and smiling. At least they weren't hurt. "You did a good job. If you hadn't come along he would have had two more victims. You saved their lives and spared them a lot of pain." Agent Fredricks knew that they wouldn't have caught the man. They had no real clues to follow. He still wondered how John had found the man so quickly. John shrugged his shoulders, "I would like to turn the investigation over to you. I'll stay here until the parents arrive and take the ladies away. If it is okay with you, Ed and I will take the car and return to the hotel. I am very tired." "No problem. I can get a ride back to the hotel and pick up the car there." "Thanks. We'll leave the keys at the counter." John returned to where Ed was seated. The two women had moved over to where they could clean up a little. John sat down next to Ed and stated, "When their parents come and take them away, we can leave." "Good, this place really gives me the creeps. There is something inherently evil about it." John nodded, "I know. I've been feeling ill the whole time that we've been here. I hope the place burns down to the ground. There is so much pain in this place." Ed nodded, "No wonder you were able to find this place. It screams out to you." John asked, "So how long did it take you to convince him to call the backup?" Ed laughed, "About a minute. I had to tell him three times to call for the backup. How did you know that I had to convince him?" "Why do you think that I wanted you to watch my back?" Ed frowned, "You didn't think they would believe you." "Right." John pointed at the driveway. "I think the parents have arrived. Let's get them together with the kids and out of here. As soon as they are gone, we can leave." Ed shouted, "Stacy! Sarah! Your parents are here." The two young ladies ran from where they had been washing. They flew to the arms of their mothers. Mothers and daughters broke down crying. The fathers stood there looking relieved, worried, upset, and angry. John walked over to the group. He extended his right hand to one of the men, "You must be Mr. Hutchinson. I'm special agent John Carter from the FBI." Mr. Hutchinson grabbed John's hand and vigorously pumped it in an exuberant handshake. Mr. Smith came over and introduced himself, "I'm Robert Smith." John shook hands with Robert. He told the fathers, "The medics have checked both of your daughters. They are in good health and came through their ordeal fine. You may want to take them in for trauma counseling. The young ladies have given us contact information so there's little for you to do except take them home." Mr. Smith asked, "Who's the agent that found them?" John stated, "I did." "I really want to thank you. You have no idea how worried we've been ever since we discovered they had been abducted." "Same here. You gave me back my little girl." John nodded. He looked down as Rover joined them. He rubbed the cat behind the ears as it leaned against him. He looked up, "Well, Rover helped too." The men stared at the cat. The two young ladies came over and hugged their fathers. They both hugged the cat and commented on what a great cat John had. The mothers joined them. There were many thanks all around. Ed came over and they thanked him as well. It was a while before the families left. John sat on the bed talking to room service. He ordered two steaks, one medium rare and one medium well. He added a pitcher of iced tea to the order. Once the order had been taken, he hung up the telephone. He opened the window curtains of the hotel room and looked out at the city below. The streets below were crowded with cars and buses, as it was rush hour. The sidewalks were full of people moving to their destinations. In two hours, the streets would almost be deserted. It was always the case when you stayed in a business class hotel. They were close to business districts, but business districts are quiet lonely places at night. Urban areas depressed him. They were filled with people that sleepwalked through their lives. His service to the Goddess cried out to him to lift them from their ruts. There were just so many. He could save a few, but they were a drop in the bucket. He watched a slightly overweight woman shuffle down the sidewalk. She carried a huge purse. Her shoulders were rounded in a posture of complete dejection. Her face was blank with eyes that stared down at her feet. She walked past people without seeing them. People, just like her, walked past her without seeing her. He knew, if they if just would look up and see each other, that a little happiness could enter their lives. He felt like opening the window and shouting out, "Look at each other. Your true love is standing in front of you. Open your eyes and your hearts. Don't look at the surface. See the real person." "A penny for your thoughts." "Oh, Ed. I didn't hear you come in." Ed had taken the car keys down to the lobby so that Agent Fredricks could pick them up. "What were you thinking?" John pointed down to the people below. He stated, "I was thinking of how many unhappy people there are down there on the street. You know, if they would just look up and see each other, for what is inside, they would find true happiness. They are all hung up on the externals and, as a result, they miss so much." Ed stood there for a long time staring out the window. He knew exactly what John had meant. He hated cities. There was so much self-loathing and unhappiness that it sucked the energy right out of him. He turned to John, "They worry so much about external appearances that they miss what is really important. They would be shocked at the people in our town. They'd never see what Jim sees in Sherry. He's a perfect figure of a man and she's two-ten if she's a pound." John smiled, "What does Jim see in Sherry?" "I don't know, but she must do something right. He's madly in love with her and they've been married for twenty years." "Was she the same size when they got married?" "She was bigger." John laughed, "I guess she's one of the few wives that actually lost weight after getting married. She's got a heart of gold." "I know. I've thought about them a lot. I was very cruel to her in the past and I know that I hurt her very much. Yet, she's still nice to me. One of these days, I have to make amends." John nodded. He knew there were many issues that Ed had yet to resolve concerning his past behavior. John decided to change the topic, "So what are your thoughts about judging people by their external appearance?" "They've changed a lot since... ," started Ed. He was interrupted by a knock on the door. John went over to the door and opened it. Their dinner was ready. He moved out of the way, as a young man came in carrying a tray with two covered dishes and a pitcher. Rover watched the man from under the desk where he had been asleep. The guy never saw Rover as his tawny color blended into the wood and carpet of the room. The guy set the tray down on a little table and pulled the bill from his pocket. He looked at the two men with a funny look on his face. John and Ed could see the changes in emotion. The guy's first thought was that they were gay and then there was the glimmer of recognition. He stared at one and then the other, "I know you. You guys caught that serial killer today." John took the bill from the guy and charged it to the room. He added a generous tip, knowing that the majority of his pay came from tips. Ed watched John and realized John was not going to answer the implied question. Ed stated, "Yes. We can't talk about it now, though. We just want to eat and get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a longer day." The guy looked like he wanted to say more, but he took a quick look at their faces. He could see that they were not feeling very talkative. He guessed that they had seen some horrors that didn't make it into the news. He looked at the bill, checking to make sure that it was signed, and then backed away towards the door. At the door, he stated, "You guys are all right. You took a very nasty guy off the street." John looked up, "Thanks." The guy backed out the door and closed it. John and Ed turned to the food. They moved the tray to the bed. They took the plates off the tray and put them on the small table. Ed removed the cover from the plate in front of him and grimaced. He moved the plate in front of John, "Here's your raw meat." John moved the other plate in front of Ed. "He's your charcoal!" The men laughed at a long-standing joke. Ed set the glasses on the table and John poured the tea. Clicking the iced tea glasses, they then started eating. They were quiet for most of the meal. Each enjoyed the steak. Both of them stared in disgust at the Broccoli, it had become the generic vegetable for restaurant meals. The meal came with huge cut french-fries that tasted bland and were dry in the mouth. One bite and each man reached for his iced tea glass to wash it down. After finishing his steak, John sat back with a sigh. He refilled their glasses and watched as Ed continued to eat. Ed finished the steak and grabbed a roll. Tearing it in half, he wiped one half on the plate soaking up the meat juices that were left. He ate the roll and then sat back. He stared at his plate. All but one bite of french- fries remained on the plate. He looked across at John's plate and saw the same thing. He shrugged, "Talk about judging by appearances, those fries really sucked." John laughed, "I thought for a moment that my mouth lost it's ability to make saliva for the rest of my life." "Thank God for the iced tea." Ed looked out the window from his chair. The change in perspective hid the street below from view. He cleared his throat. "We were talking about judging by external appearances earlier." "Yes we were." "Well, I was thinking about it. You know, you are an enigma to me. You care so much about how other people feel, that you will deny yourself pleasure." John started to interrupt, but Ed held up a hand. He continued, "When Beth was going through her trouble, I talked with Kelly about having me watch Beth one night so that you could come over and spend some time with her. She stated that you wouldn't sleep with her until Beth was better. She was right. You told me that yourself." John threw his hands up in a surrender gesture, "What can I say? She was in a fragile state at the time." Ed nodded, "Well, after Beth was okay I kept wondering why you weren't taking Kelly up on any of her offers. Then one day it hit me. You weren't going to sleep with her until after you slept with me." John nodded, "Do you know why?" "Yes, I do. You didn't want to get involved with Kelly until you knew that the involvement had a good chance of being permanent. You didn't want to sleep with her and then have to dump her if it became clear that you and I couldn't live up to her expectations." John nodded, "You do understand." "I also understand something else. I think it came to me when I was talking with the girls this afternoon." John looked puzzled, "What?" "You have never pressured me about anything. You ask questions and help lead me to conclusions that are right for me. You never judge, you just accept me for what I am. When I need to act, I can count on you to back me up. You help open doors that I would not be able to open myself. Today, you wanted me to watch your back. You know that you can count on me. When we were talking about you being a wizard, I argued that you were an ordinary guy. That's when I knew that I had accepted you for what you are. You are an ordinary guy that finds himself in extraordinary circumstances." Ed paused for effect, "Today, I realized that kind of acceptance and trust is love." John smiled, "I agree. That is what love is supposed to be." Ed nodded, "Yes. It's not some wild emotional roller coaster ride." John broke out into a great big grin. "I don't think that Beth and Kelly realize that yet. Spending time with each other is a gift from the heart. Demanding attention only cheapens the time spent together because it becomes an obligation or an act motivated by guilt." Ed nodded. "So I was thinking. If we love each other, what is the big deal about sex with each other?" "I agree with you, Ed. What is the big deal?" So Ed asked, "So how do two men do it?" John shrugged his shoulders. "I have no fucking idea." Both men looked at the other and burst out laughing. ------- Chapter 5 John got out of the bathroom and walked over to his bed. He lay down on it and stared at the ceiling. He was disappointed at the quality of the sunrise. Buildings blocked the sky to the east. The colors of dawn were overwhelmed by the air pollution. He couldn't make his offering because there wasn't any soil in the room. Not a single potted plant was to be found. He looked over at Ed knowing that Ed wouldn't wake for another half an hour. He wondered what his reaction would be this morning to the activities of last night. His thoughts were interrupted by Ed, "Hey, sleepy head. Wake up." John looked over at Ed in surprise, "You're up early this morning." "I'm hungry. Dinner was kind of small and all that exercise last night burned up the little bit that I ate." John laughed, "It did at that." "Why don't I shower first and then while I'm shaving you can shower. We can probably be done in time to get to the breakfast buffet before it gets cold and dried out." John nodded, "Yeah, I don't really need to shave." "I know, you only do it once in a lifetime." John laughed. Ed had asked him when he had last shaved. When John told him that he had done it once that he could remember, Ed had stared incredulous at him. Since that time, it had become another one of the private jokes they shared. The men were the first at the buffet. In fact, they were still setting out the food when the men arrived. The two men heaped their plates with food and sat down to eat. They didn't talk much as they ate. They did receive looks from other restaurant patrons who felt that a cowboy, hippie and a cougar seated at a table was a strange sight. Individually, each of them attracted the attention of others. Together, they tended to draw a crowd of onlookers. Both men finished eating and sat back enjoying the feeling that comes after consuming a hearty meal. John looked up, "So what are you going to be doing while I'm at the office?" Ed smiled, "I thought I might do a little shopping." John looked surprised, "Shopping?" Ed nodded, "Yeah, I thought I would buy some presents for Beth and Kelly. You know, I thought I would get some lingerie for them to wear. I thought that I might find a sex store and buy them some toys." John looked skeptical, "I think it's going to be hard to find one of those kinds of stores in this town. This is Salt Lake City." Ed smiled, "I beg to differ. Don't you know this is the only way that country folk can get these things? There are too many eyes locally that know you and will know what you are doing if you do mail order. You have to get to the big city occasionally. This town is surrounded by a lot of countryside." John shrugged, "You may be right. I hadn't thought about it." Ed smiled, "I was wondering if I could use the car." "Of course, I was going to walk to work today anyway. I've got this urge to be out there on the street this morning." Ed shook his head, "Take care of yourself. Do you want me to walk there with you? Might not be a bad idea to have someone watching your back." "No. It will be okay." John stood up and stretched. He adjusted his cloak and grabbed the walking stick. Rover stood up and stretched lazily. "By the way, can you buy ten pounds of hamburger for Rover?" "Sure." John nodded, "Well, I'm heading out now." Ed looked puzzled, "You've got an hour yet. You're going to be way early." "Oh, I expect to be delayed between here and there." "Alright, see you this evening. Let's eat somewhere else. Another bite of french-fries here and my whole body will dry up." John laughed and waved bye as he stepped out of the restaurant into the hotel lobby. At the hotel door to the outside, he held the door open for Rover and then shut it after the cat exited the building. The cat ran off around the corner as John walked behind. At the small patch of grass around the hotel, he stopped. He drew a drop of blood from two different fingers. Flicking the fingers to throw the blood to the ground, he stated, "For the God and the Goddess." He walked to the rear of the building and waited for Rover. He knew where Rover had gone. He was in the sandbox they had set up behind the hotel so the cat would have a place to relieve himself. John hadn't realized how difficult it was to travel with a large cat until the first trip. The cat returned walking much more relaxed. The two of them headed towards the Federal Building. It was a simple walk of six blocks. However, along the way, John stopped and talked to people. He told a man that it would be nice if he helped a certain young lady carry one of her boxes. He watched as the couple walked off chatting amiably. He was accosted by an animal rights activist, who stated that he was abusing the animal by keeping it as a pet. John tried to explain to the person that the cat had adopted him, but his arguments were ignored. Rover ended the discussion by growling at the person, thereby scaring off the very confused activist. As they neared the Federal Building, John had an urge to enter a bank. He and Rover entered and stopped near the entrance. The guard turned to John in an attempt to explain that animals were not allowed. At that moment, one of the customers pulled a gun and shouted, "Everyone down on the ground!" As the gunman spoke, one of the customers grabbed his heart and collapsed on the floor. John took advantage of the distraction to take a couple of steps towards the gunman. He noticed and pointed the gun at John. John raised his arms before asking, "Does that include the cat?" The gunman looked down at Rover in confusion. Rover was making a low growling noise. As the gun moved towards Rover, John's walking stick swung upwards striking the gun with a loud crack and sending it into the air. John swung the walking stick around and hit the gunman in the stomach. The gunman collapsed trying to regain his breath. Rover jumped on the guy flattening him on the ground. The guard came over and took charge of the man. John went over to the customer and started treating him for his heart attack. Without looking up, he shouted, "Get an ambulance." The customer was still breathing and the heart was beating, but the heartbeat was very erratic. John checked the pockets to see if there was any nitroglycerin pills. He couldn't find any. He carefully monitored the man's condition. After a minute, the man stiffened, moaned, and then collapsed. He gave one final exhale of breath. John checked the pulse and found the heart had stopped. He proceeded to administer CPR. Rover sat next to the gunman who was stretched out on the floor. There was the stench of bowels that had released in fear. Each time the man attempted to move, Rover let loose with a low growl. The gunman would freeze. Sweat was running off his brow. The bank guard enjoyed the sight and made no move towards the cat. For John, it seemed like forever before the police arrived. When they entered, the bank guard pointed them to the gunman. Rover looked up at the police and moved over to where John was working. The bank guard smiled at Rover, he had enjoyed the help that the cat had given. The police were quickly followed by an ambulance. When the medical personnel entered the bank, they quickly assessed the situation. The female member of the team took over for John. John sat back relieved. No matter how many times he had done that, he always worried that he had done something wrong. The woman spoke without looking up, "You didn't break the ribcage. Very good." "I've done this a couple dozen times before." One of the policemen came over to John. "What's your name?" John reached into his pocket and pulled out his ID. He opened both of them with a flip. He really enjoyed doing that as it looked like something out of a bad cop movie. He stated, "Special Agents John Carter and Rover of the FBI." The policeman took a moment to look at John. He recognized him from the news the night before. "It looks like you've caught serial killers two days in a row. This guy has been robbing banks locally. He comes in, kills someone, grabs the money, and then gets out. We've been after him for a couple of months now." John shrugged, "I'll let you guys take care of him. I'm late for my meeting already." The policeman answered, "We'll be over to take your statement at your office in an hour or so." "Okay," John agreed. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to get out of it. At least he would be comfortable. Of course, he didn't really have an office. John left the bank with Rover walking beside him. When he arrived at the Federal Building, it was very easy for them to pass through security. After a week of problems at the security gate, the building guards had given up on trying to keep Rover out of the building. When he finally got to the FBI office, he was greeted with cheers. John raised his hands and stated, "All of the credit should really go to Agent Fredricks." Agent Fredricks just shook his head. The crowd disappeared after a few minutes until only the agents that had actually participated in the operation were left. He stated, "You're late." "There was a bank robbery down the street. The local police will be coming here in a little while to get my statement." One of the agents frowned, "It wasn't the Serious Robber, was it?" John stated, "I don't know. They told me I had caught another serial killer." Another agent stated, "Un-fucking-believable. They've been after him for months. Do you mean to say that you just walked up and captured him?" "Something like that. Of course, Rover helped." John looked at all of the people that were on the team. He knew most of them by name. He had not been introduced to all of them. He stated, "I'm hoping to get back home tomorrow, so maybe we should start the meeting now." The group moved into a conference room and settled themselves in the chairs around a very large table. Rover followed them in and settled himself behind John's chair. The agents covered the evidence that they had located in the house. This included body parts, videos, and the apparatus that the killer used to perform the amputations. Throughout the discussion, John was getting sicker and sicker. When it was suggested that they watch the videos, John had enough. He interrupted the discussion, "I'm sorry ladies and gentleman, but I don't like this kind of stuff. That's why I work to capture them. I'll testify as to what my role was in the capture. There is no reason for me to know all of the grisly details." Agent Fredricks interrupted, "You aren't interested in knowing how the case is structured?" John replied, "All I need to know is that a case sufficient to convict the guy can be built. Can it?" "Of course, we've got him nailed." "Are there any legal problems with the evidence that was collected?" "No." John nodded, "Good, then you don't need me anymore. The case is officially yours Agent Fredricks. It has been since yesterday when I said that to you earlier. Now, if you don't mind, I'll be in another room waiting for the police to interview me about the robbery." Agent Fredricks stated, "Agent Carter, don't you know that this is part of being an FBI agent?" "Not for me." "If you don't contribute as part of the team in wrapping up this case, I'm going to have to suspend you without pay." John got a very serious expression, "Agent Fredricks, you have no idea what a hollow threat that is." "What?" John dialed a number on the conference phone. It was answered on the first ring by the same lady that always answered. John stated, "Hello. This is John Carter. Is Mike available?" "Oh, hello Dr. Carter. He's in a meeting with a Senator. Let me check and see if he'll take the call." The room was silent except for the elevator music playing on the conference phone. Every eye in the place was on John, staring in disbelief. The elevator music halted and Mike stated, "Hello, John. Good job yesterday." All of the agents in the room were now sitting there with open mouths. This guy could pull the director out of a meeting with a senator. John, oblivious to the reactions, stated, "Thanks, Mike. By the way, I'm on conference phone with the entire team." "I would like to congratulate all of you on a job well done." "They really deserve a lot of credit. Backed me to the hilt. I'm handing it over to them now." "I'm sure that they can carry on now that your role is finished." Agent Fredricks asked, "His role is finished? That's not how an FBI employee acts. You don't make a capture like that and then walk away." Mike stated, "He's an FBI volunteer with an expertise that we need. He does the job he volunteered to do. Once he hands it off to you, then he's free to go home." "Isn't this highly unusual?" "Would you have caught Buckman yesterday without him?" "No sir," replied the agent. "It may be highly unusual, but it is also effective and legal." John spoke up, "Thanks, Mike. I only called because there was some confusion about my responsibilities." "No problem, John. How's Rover?" John laughed, "Rover's fine. He had a two thousand dollar steak dinner last night." "I heard. Send me a bill." "That's okay. Rover deserved it. I appreciate the thought though." "Okay. I'll talk to you later then," replied Mike. He added, "I've got a Senator here that's beginning to look a little impatient." "Sure thing," replied John. He smiled as Mike disconnected. Turning to the others in the room, he asked, "Does that clear things up?" Agent Fredricks replied, "Not really. I have more questions now than I had before. However, I guess that you can go now." John stood up and walked to the door. He turned to face the people in the room. "It really has been a pleasure working with you ladies and gentlemen. You have been very professional. You are able to work with such ugliness without being turned into something ugly. I find that remarkable." John left the room. Rover followed a few steps behind him. Behind him, the room exploded in excited discussion about the telephone call. Agent Fredricks admitted that he had been warned to treat John Carter with great care. His friend Ann Moore had stated that John Carter had very powerful friends. He hadn't understood until this moment just how special John Carter should have been treated. The fact is, he had treated John poorly. He hadn't even assigned him a temporary office. The weird thing was that the guy was always polite, never argued, and never complained. John Carter was just a nice guy. He had made only one threat in the entire time he had been here. He wanted to make sure the two girls from the day before never knew just how close they had come to having limbs amputated by Buckman. Even the discussion with Mike Holden was done in such a way as to avoid getting him in trouble. John could easily have told the director that Agent Fredricks was acting like a jerk. John and Rover went to the receptionist's desk. John asked, "Have the police come here to get my statement yet?" "No, Agent Carter." "Oh, I guess I'll wait in one of the chairs in the waiting area until they show up." John sat down in the waiting area and thought about his problems. A claw pressing against his leg interrupted his thoughts. John looked down at Rover. Rover immediately retracted his claw and sat back down. John looked up and saw the policewoman. He exclaimed, "Please excuse me. I was lost in thought. I didn't mean to be rude." The policewoman smiled, "No problem. I just came to get your statement." John pointed to one of the chairs, "Please sit down officer..." "Conway. Terry Conway." "Nice to meet you officer Conway. So how is the guy with the heart attack doing?" "Oh, Mr. Dalton is doing well," replied the woman. She had observed him when he was deep in thought. Now that he was talking with her, she was amazed at the focused attention he paid her. His eyes never strayed from her face. She was used to men's eyes flicking down to her breasts or legs. "I'm glad to hear that." "I'm sure. You don't get to save the Deputy Director of the DOE every day." "Oh, is that who he was. I'm just glad that he's okay." John had done the same for homeless men on the street on more than one occasion in Austin. Officer Conway looked at him for a second, "You really don't care how important he is, do you?" "Not at all. The important thing is that he may be a husband, a brother, a father, or a friend to people that care about him." She raised her eyebrows in surprise. She changed the subject, "Can you tell me about the events in the bank?" John told her in detail exactly what happened at the bank. It was actually a very simple story and didn't take long at all to tell. When he had finished, he checked to see if the officer had any questions. She didn't. She stood up, "Thank you very much Agent Carter. The district attorney will contact you if you are to testify at the trail." "Thank you, Officer Conway. I appreciate you coming here to talk to me like this. I know it's not normal procedure. Please extend my thanks to the other officers that allowed me to make my meeting." Officer Conway crooked her head, "It's a common courtesy between members of law enforcement." "Well, thank you again." She stood there for a moment looking at him. He hadn't treated her like a local yokel that was the common treatment that FBI gave city police. She pulled a card out of her purse. She smiled, "You're quite welcome. If you have any questions, here's my card." John put the card in his pocket and watched her go to the elevator. He reached down and scratched Rover behind the ears. He stood up to leave. As he did, Agent Fredricks called out, "Agent Carter, may I talk to you for a moment in my office?" John replied, "Is it official?" "No, I just wanted to talk to you before you left." John nodded, "How about I buy you lunch and we talk there instead of in your office? That is, if you have the time to spare." The FBI agent wanted to kick himself in the ass. He should have thought of taking John out to lunch. He cleared his throat, "Sure, that would be fine." John smiled, "I would like a nice quiet place to eat, but I'll eat anything. Is there any place you suggest?" The agent nodded, "I know exactly the place." John followed him a block down the street to a little family restaurant. They entered the place. The owner greeted the agent and led them to a private table in the back of the restaurant. This table was reserved for use by the FBI for business lunches. It was private enough that they could talk and open enough that the staff could provide good service. The staff was very well trained, not one of them even mentioned the cat sitting next to the table. The men spent a couple of minutes examining the menu. When John set down the menu, the waiter showed up to take their orders. After ordering John initiated the conversation, "So, Agent Fredricks. What did you want to talk to me about?" "Please call me Joe." "Ah, I had wondered what the J stood for." "You mean you didn't know my first name? John thought back, "No, you never told me." Joe really wanted to kick himself. He apologized, "I'm sorry. I really haven't been a very good host. You came out here to help us. I haven't given you a single break. The only thing that I overlooked was your appearance and that was because I thought you might need to keep it for undercover work." John looked puzzled, "I hadn't noticed. I just figured that with a case like this, everyone would be a little tense." "Well, actually I never believed that you had solved the case until those two girls were let out of the back of the car." He muscles in his jaw tightened for a moment. He didn't want to admit how little he had believed John. "I looked at your record and saw that you had saved many people, but you hadn't done any criminal investigative work. I only went along with you because Ann Moore said that I should. " John laughed, "I knew you didn't believe me. I didn't have any evidence or proof for you to look at. There was no way that you could believe me. That's why I brought Ed along. I knew he would back me up if it came down to the three of us. To tell the truth, I was surprised when the van showed up." Joe shook his head, "It didn't bother you that I didn't believe you?" "Not really. I'm a scientist by training. We are taught to be very critical of things. I know that law enforcement is the same way." The food was delivered to the table. John admired his Chicken Caesar Salad. He asked the waiter to bring a small bowl of ice cream for the cat. He emphasized small as too much ice cream gave the cat the runs. The waiter went off shaking his head, but returned with a small bowl of ice cream. The men chatted while eating their meal. The topics covered were the typical small talk that one engages in at a business lunch. By the end of lunch, Agent Joe Fredricks was feeling very relaxed. John suddenly changed the subject, "The next time I'm on a case somewhere, can I use you as a reference. You've had a chance to see me at work and that could help ease the way for my next case." Joe sat back and thought about it. "Sure, I'll tell them that you produce results." "Thanks." "Can I ask you something?" "Sure." Joe wondered how to bring up the subject of John's appearance. Finally, he blurted out, "Why the weird hair and beard?" John smiled, "Religious reasons. I serve a God and a Goddess, they gave me this appearance and I will not change it." "Oh." Joe didn't know what to say. The guy sounded like some sort of religious nut talking about serving Gods and Goddesses. "Don't worry. I'm not a nut." John looked down at Rover. He added, "Rover was a gift from them. He's a completely wild animal. I woke up one morning and there he was. He followed me out of the woods." "You mean you didn't raise him?" "Nope. He was full grown when he adopted me." "Damn." Joe was stunned. He had seen Rover take down a calf. He had assumed that Rover was raised around people. Now he realized he was seated next to a wild animal that could easily kill him. Joe picked up the tab for lunch. John went back to the hotel and met Ed there. Rover enjoyed the hamburger. The next day, the three of them returned home. ------- Chapter 6 Ed's living room was furnished for comfort rather than appearance. There was a green fabric covered couch, a brown leather chair with footstool, a coffee table in front of the couch, and a TV tray next to the chair. An old broken console television sat in the corner of the room. A portable color television sat on top of the console. The carpet was yellow. The windows were covered with simple white curtains. There weren't any pictures on the wall. Despite belonging to a man, the room was neat and clean. Beth lay on the couch with her head in John's lap. John slowly ran his fingers along her arm. It was sending chills up and down her spine. Ed sat in a chair with Kelly seated on the floor between his legs. He slowly massaged her shoulders. Kelly occasionally let out a contented sigh of contentment. Rover sat lay curled in the corner sleeping soundly. They had been discussing how a group marriage would work. Ed stated, "Well, we have two houses and two apartments. None of them are large enough for four adults." Beth asked, "What do you mean none of them are large enough for four adults?" John answered, "He means that none of them have four bedrooms or that none of them have a bedroom that is large enough for four people." Kelly thought about it, "They're right. If we form semi-permanent pairs for sleeping arrangements that makes us two couples living together. I want it to be four adults living together." Beth stated, "Oh, I get it." Ed asked, "So what do you do about it?" Kelly answered, "I figure between the four of us, we have about two thousand dollars worth of house payments every month. That kind of money could buy a very big house." John listened as the discussion about living arrangements went on around him. Their approach to the whole financial topic seemed wrong to him. One approach made it seem like they were roommates. They would all split the bills four ways. Another was definitely unfair to everyone involved. It involved them pooling all of their money and then putting them on an allowance. None of the approaches allowed for one of them to leave if things didn't work out or to add new adults to the group marriage. They didn't address questions of what would happen when one of the members was unemployed. He interrupted, "I don't think we can settle this that way. I think we need to get some professional help. I'd suggest an accountant and a lawyer." Everyone reacted negatively to the suggestion. Beth sat up and turned to face John. Kelly was the most vocal, "What do we need an accountant and a lawyer for?" John held up his hands before him in an attempt to calm things down. It took a minute for everyone to quit talking. John then explained, "How will we deal with taxes? If we buy a single house, does that mean we have to share the deduction four ways? What happens if we want to add people to our family? What happens if one of us has to leave here? How do we share expenses? What happens if one of us is fired from their job? What happens if one of us has to take a leave of absence?" Ed looked thoughtful for a minute. He hadn't thought through the problem in its entirety. He agreed, "I guess there are a lot of questions that we need to answer." Beth and Kelly were looking at each other feeling very uncomfortable. They didn't like the kinds of questions that were being asked. Finally, Beth asked, "What has all of that to do with marriage? It sounds like you don't love us." "When you get married, the law is structured so that most of those questions are automatically answered. The reason I want to make sure that we are all protected is that I do love you. I want Ed to be able to take a couple of years off work so that he can get his degree. I want each of you to be able to take a leave of absence so that you can have children. I don't want us to have to pay our income taxes at higher rates than other married couples. I want us to live the best lifestyle for us," explained John with patience. "So are we married yet?" asked Kelly. She really wanted the group marriage. John and Ed smiled at each other. They reached into their pockets and pulled out four rings each. These rings were custom made so that a pair interlocked forming a single ring. John asked, "Will you, Beth and Kelly, consent to become my wives?" They both answered yes. John handed each of them a ring, telling them not to put it on yet. Ed then asked, "Will you, Beth and Kelly, consent to become my wives?" They both answered yes. Ed handed each of them a ring. Ed showed Kelly how to form a single ring from the pair while John showed Beth. The women looked in amazement as the rings were slipped onto their fingers. Tears came to their eyes. John then asked, "Ed, will you consent to become my husband?" Ed replied, "Yes, I do. Will you consent to become my husband?" John replied, "Yes, I do." The men exchanged rings and formed a single ring from the pair. They slipped them onto their fingers. Ed, smiling at the women, stated, "I guess we are now officially engaged." Kelly stood up and went over to Beth. She reached out to take Beth's hand. Beth gave it to her and then stood next to Beth. Kelly and Beth slowly stripped each other. They took turns, taking their time and doing their best to make it sexy. They succeeded in making it very sexy. When they had finished, Kelly stated, "Your turn, guys." Ed and John stood up awkwardly and stepped to each other. They tried to undress each other the same way that the women had. Where the women had been graceful, the men were clumsy. The result, rather than being sexy, was comedic. By the time they were finished, the two women were laughing uncontrollably. John and Ed looked at each other, mirroring embarrassed expressions. Kelly recovered and began to kiss Beth with passion. John watched the action with a little sadness. He couldn't help remembering the time Beth and Betsy had been together that one time. Despite the unhappy memories, the action was sexy. The men's bodies couldn't help but react. As Kelly's hands roamed Beth's body, they both began to breathe heavier. The excitement shared between the two women was intense. Beth took the initiative and started kissing Kelly's breasts. Kelly placed her thigh between Beth's legs and pressed it tight against her pussy. With a subtle rocking motion of her body, she was able to produce electric sensations in Beth. Beth responded by moving her thigh into the same position on Kelly. Any movement by one woman was now communicated directly to the other and back again. Suddenly, the excitement grew so intense that all each woman could do was to react to the movement of the other. In minutes both were in the grips of major orgasms. The women slowly collapsed to the floor, flush from the excitement and breathing hard for their exertions. Several minutes passed before Kelly looked up with a gleam in her eyes, "It is your turn to put on a show for us." Ed left the room for a second and returned with a lubricant that he applied to his cock. He applied more lubricant to his finger and inserted it into John's asshole, lubricating it thoroughly. First, it was one finger and then he worked in two fingers. John got down on his back and spread his legs. At a sign from John, he stepped between the legs and slowly pressed his cock against John's asshole. The penetration, even though it was slow, was intense for John and Ed both. John felt like he was being stretched beyond what nature would allow. Ed felt the incredible tightness that provided exactly the kind of stimulation that would drive him quickly to orgasm. It took several minutes for him to sink his cock into John completely. He slowly withdrew and pushed it back in again. The second time was much quicker then the first. Repeatedly he pulled out and thrust in again. The thrust was always quicker then the time before until Ed was hammering into and out of John with a fury. John was groaning from the treatment. His cock waved up and down in the air in time with the thrusts. Kelly and Beth were watching wide-eyed at the action. For them, this was a fantasy come true. Kelly started repeating one phrase as thought it were a mantra, "Fuck him good." John tightened his ass against Ed's cock. The action brought an immediate shudder and orgasm from Ed. Spasms rocked his body as jet after jet of cum shot from his cock filling John's ass with fluid. Ed slumped back, his cock falling out of John's ass, and took several deep breaths to recover. Almost immediately, he dove down on John's cock. Taking more and more of it into his mouth and throat. John, already at the point of orgasm, tensed. When Ed made swallowing motions in his throat, it was too much for John. He shot into Ed, groaning as he did so. Ed pulled off of the cock so that the last shot went into his mouth. He moved up and fed cum back to John's open mouth. Kelly, her hand pressed tight against her cunt, came in a scream that drew the attention of everyone else in the room. John smiled, cum smeared on his lips, and asked, "Did anyone else enjoy that?" Beth just shuddered as her body went through the last of an orgasm. She groaned, "Oh fuck, that was intense." Kelly gasped, "Almost brutal in its intensity." Ed and John smiled at each other. They had decided in Utah, that the male goal of sex was to come as quickly as possible with a minimum of foreplay. John held up four fingers to Ed. Ed looking at the fingers shuddered. He had agreed that every five times he took John in the ass that John would get to take him. John was so much bigger that Ed knew it was going to hurt. Kelly was the first to her feet. She grabbed John and stated, "Come with me. I've been waiting for you a long time." Beth looked rather sourly at Kelly as the woman led John away. Ed stated, "Let her go, she's never been with John. They've never even kissed." Beth turned and looked at Ed in amazement, "Never?" "Never." "How about when I wasn't quite myself?" "Nope." "But all those times that he left the house for days at a time. I was sure that he was over here." Beth was shocked to hear this. She had always assumed that John had just moved on to Kelly after Betsy died. "No. He was off doing the John thing. You know, saving the masses from harm. He didn't do it because he didn't want to hurt you." Beth began to feel bad for the thoughts and grudges that she had held against John. She had realized that he had really taken her breakdown that seriously. "What about after I was better?" "Nope. He wasn't going to sleep with Kelly until after he and I did something together and knew that he could make a real commitment to her." Beth spread out on the floor in amazement. She had made so many assumptions about John that had just been proven wrong. He had done everything possible to protect everyone's feelings even if they didn't know they were being protected. She asked, "So this is their first time together?" "Yes." Ed answered. He knew that Beth was working through the last inner demons that had haunted her since Betsy's death. Beth smiled, "Go wash up. Then come back here and fuck me like you fucked him. Just as hard and fast as you want." Ed smiled as he walked to the bathroom to wash his cock. He figured that he was going to be doing this a lot for the next few days. He missed a step as he thought about John getting to do him. The house was quiet when John woke in the morning. Kelly was still asleep in the bed next to him. He looked over her naked body, remembering the texture and feel of each inch of it. They had made slow passionate love last night as befitted the first time with a woman. Ed had taken the immediateness from his sexual urges and his performance last night with Kelly had reflected it. He didn't dress as he went into Ed's backyard to do his morning blood sacrifice. He didn't know if it was still necessary, but he did know that he hadn't been wounded since then. Of course, things had quieted down for him. Finishing his ritual at a few minutes a sunrise, he returned to the house and sat down in a chair. He started thinking about where he could test the idea he had committed to paper just a few weeks before. He still had the lab in Austin and he could get a lab in Arizona. The question was how he could combine his work and developing group marriage to a positive end. He was soon deep in thought about how he could manage them both. One solution was to open his own lab at a location of his choice. He didn't want it too close, because then there would be expectations that he would be home every night regardless of the progress he was making at the time. He didn't want it too far because he didn't want to drive for more that a couple of hours. There were other problems. Most of the equipment that would be required to validate the safety of his device would be expensive. Neutron and gamma ray detectors came at a steep price. The device itself would be cheap to build. The idea came to him that he should be able to build the device and contract out the testing. Only a handful of places had the expertise to make those kinds of measurements. Most of them required a security clearance and then he realized that Mike had said that he had a top-secret clearance. In order to build the device, he would need access to equipment and supplies that he already had in Austin. This meant that he would have to spend a month in Austin and that he should do it soon. There was a desire to head out that had its roots in his service to the Goddess. He had enough experience with both of them now that he could tell the difference between the two. He added a week to the trip to take into account her service needs. He was going to have to leave tomorrow. That meant between now and then that he would have to contact Mrs. South to let her know that he was coming. He would also have to talk with Ed, Kelly, and Beth. He also realized that he could probably stop at his parent's house and visit Jenny and Jack. They could use Jack's financial advice. He would ask Ed to locate a good lawyer, as well. Having made his plans, he went into the kitchen and started to make a huge breakfast. He started the coffee first, knowing that the aroma would soon wake everyone else. He decided that pancakes would be a good meal to have after all of the energy that had been burned last night. He had just finished putting the first griddle full of pancakes on the plate when Ed came wandering out from his bedroom. He stumbled over to the coffee maker and poured himself a cup. It was only after he had taken several sips of it that he looked around and noticed breakfast. Ed closed one eye, yawned, stretched, and scratched himself as the idea of breakfast worked its way through his mind. He mumbled, "Morning." "Good morning." John smiled as he poured another six circles of batter on the griddle. He knew it was going to take Ed another three minutes before he'd work up enough consciousness to say anything else. Ed had a tendency to get out of bed early and wake up much later. He flipped the pancakes and let them cook for another minute. He heaped them on a plate and poured six more circles of batter on the griddle. He looked up in time to see Beth exiting from the other bedroom yawning and rubbing her breasts as she stretched. She smelled the air and stated, "Good morning. Coffee smells good." "Good morning. Help yourself. You may need to help Ed too. He seems to be waking slower than usual this morning." John snickered. He had once tried to play a joke on Ed first thing in the morning and it wasn't until an hour went by that Ed realized what had happened. "Coffee first. Blow Ed second. Munch on Kelly third." Beth delivered in a deadpan voice. John burst out laughing. Leave it to Beth to know how to wake everyone. He finished another set of pancakes and poured more batter on the griddle. The bowl of batter was empty and he rinsed it out while the pancakes cooked. Finished with the bowl, he returned to the stove and turned over the last six pancakes. After a minute or so, he put those on the plate and then wiped down the griddle. He loved cooking with cast-iron, but it was excessively heavy to carry when hiking. He set the plate of pancakes on the table. Rummaging in the refrigerator, he hauled out some real maple syrup and butter. He riffled through the shelves before finding where Ed kept the honey, and powered sugar. He put them on the table. One more trip to the kitchen for eating utensils and the table was quickly set. He called out, "Breakfast everyone." Ed sat down at the table. He actually looked awake. Beth came out of the bedroom followed by a glowing Kelly. Beth giggled, "Sorry, I already ate two courses: Ed and Beth." John laughed, "I hope you saved some room for pancakes!" The four of them settled around the table and piled their plates with pancakes. John was the only one that liked his pancakes with butter and powered sugar. He wished he had found some strawberry jam. The others raised their eyebrows at how he prepared them. Ed and Kelly went for the maple syrup while Beth grabbed the honey. Now that everyone was awake and alert, John stated, "I hate to say this, but I have to leave tomorrow. I'll be gone about six weeks." "No." replied Kelly. She looked at John in a manner that would brook no argument. She had finally gotten her family together and now he wanted to run off. She wasn't going to accept that. "I have to go tomorrow. I can't ignore the call to service. You know that." Ed placed a hand on Kelly's hand and squeezed it in reassurance. He looked at her and stated, "You remember the earthquake. Imagine how bad it would have been if we hadn't gone there. He has to do these things because lives hang in the balance." Beth silently watched Ed and Kelly. She wondered how she had managed to find two good men as Ed and John. She also wondered about the selfishness that Kelly was exhibiting. She decided that she was going to have to long talk about caring, trust, and giving. John nodded, "I have to leave tomorrow for something like that, but I don't know what it is. I also have some work to do in Austin. It is very important." Ed asked, "What about the accountant and the lawyer so that we can set up the group marriage properly?" John nodded, "Good question. I thought that I would stop and ask Jack to come here. He's a very good accountant and has helped grow a small business into a chain. I think that he can set things up for us in a very fair and equitable fashion." "What about a lawyer?" Beth was curious. John seemed to know someone in almost every field. "I don't know a good lawyer," he answered. Beth snorted as she found that a very accurate statement about all lawyers. Realizing how that sounded, he added, "I didn't mean that as a joke." Ed stated, "I know a very good lawyer. He's one of the best in the state and he's a very nice guy. He probably won't even charge us for the consultation." John shook his head at the suggestion, "Advice is worth what you pay for it. We will pay his consultation fees." Kelly had been quiet all of this time although she was about to burst out in anger. First, she had been told bluntly that John was going although she wanted him to stay. Then, they had been planning this group marriage as if it was some sort of business proposition. Beth watched Kelly from across the table and saw her anger growing. She decided that it was time to act. She stated, "Kelly, could you help me with something in the bedroom." Kelly glared across the table at Beth. She wasn't ready to be distracted. It took her a moment to observe that Beth's eyes were beginning to narrow. She had seen that look in the hospital. When Beth narrowed her eyes that meant someone was going to catch hell. It took her a minute to realize that she was the target of that look. Kelly answered, "Okay." Beth stood up and went into the bedroom. Reaching it, she waited for Kelly. The longer Kelly took in getting there, the worse it was going to be. She was working up to a major blow up when John entered the room. He looked at her for a second and then stated in a very commanding voice, "Slave, assume standing second position!" Beth stepped into position almost before the words had left John's mouth. It was an automatic response on her part and surprised her even as she did it. Her hands clasp behind her neck, her elbows stuck out to the side, and her legs were slightly spread. He could touch her anywhere he desired. He asked, "Slave, were you about to yell at Kelly?" "Yes, Master," she replied. Her continued submissiveness surprised her. Then she realized that her lack of submissiveness since her recovery was because she had lost her trust in John. Her conversation with Ed last night had restored that trust. It dawned on her that John must have seen some sort of change in her. "Slave, tell me why?" Kelly eyes lowered. She didn't know how to answer the question. John watched the emotions struggle within her for half a minute, "Slave, tell me now!" "She's been acting very needy, greedy, and selfish. I wanted to put her in her place, Master." John nodded. It was exactly as he thought. He had seen this coming. Kelly's single mindedness about the group marriage bordered on the unhealthy and it was beginning to wear on people. He decided that it was time to set things right. He ordered, "Follow me, slave." He walked into the living room with Beth following meekly behind him. Kelly was seated in a chair pensively waiting for John or Kelly to come yell at her. Ed was in the kitchen doing the dishes. When he reached the center of the room, he turned to Beth ordering, "Slave, assume the kneeling first position." Beth instantly fell to her knees and clasped her arms behind her back. Her breasts, topped by very erect nipples, were displayed very prominently. He stated, "Slave, I have a challenge for you. When Ed comes in here, you have three minutes to get him erect and to have him cum using only your mouth. If you fail, I will allow Ed to fuck you in the ass and then I will fuck you in the ass. Do you understand the nature of the challenge?" "Yes, Master." John smiled at the look of fear on her face at the thought of his monster cock reaming her ass. He could see Kelly sitting in the chair looking at him wide-eyed. He turned to Kelly asking, "Do you want to say something?" "Ed already had a blowjob just before breakfast." "Do you think she should take the challenge?" "No. There's no way she could succeed." John looked down at Beth. Beth was still staring at his flaccid cock thinking how big it would get when erect. John asked, "Slave, would you accept the challenge?" Beth took a deep breath realizing that he was actually giving her a choice. Of course, there was only one answer she could give, "Yes, Master." Kelly exploded, "Why are you doing this to her?" John smiled and watched Kelly as he asked, "Slave, answer her question." It took Beth a minute to work out why he was doing it. Once she realized the reason, she knew what he was doing. She answered in a very cryptic fashion to make Kelly ask more questions. "He's giving me a way to keep from being punished." "Why would you be punished?" "Because I was going to yell at you for a bad reason." She again gave a cryptic answer and noticed John nodding his head. "What reason?" John interrupted, "Slave, don't answer that question." Kelly looked puzzled. "Why shouldn't she answer that question?" "Two reasons. First, I told her not to answer it. Second, you know the answer." Ed had finished washing the dishes for the third time and was trying to figure out an excuse for staying in the kitchen. He could hear every word that was being said in the living room. He was curious about what was happening, although he knew what had provoked it. Both women had looked like they were ready to kill at the table and John was fixing the problem. Kelly was looking at him very puzzled at this point. She really had no clue what she had done that had angered Beth enough to want to yell at her. She thought back to what had been happening at the table. She had been listening to the conversation getting angry about the business like approach to the marriage that John and Ed had taken. Then Beth had gotten upset with her. She took a wild guess, "Because I was getting angry at you and Ed?" John smiled. He turned to Beth, "Slave, I will change the challenge. If Kelly can explain in detail why you were going to yell at her before you can get Ed erect and to cum, then you won't be have your ass worked over by him and me. We won't use lubricant either, so it's going to hurt like hell. Of course, I will expect you to work as hard as you can to get him to cum as quickly as possible. Do you understand this challenge?" Beth kept a neutral face. She knew she stood a better chance with three minutes than with the revised challenge. She answered, "Yes, Master." "Do you accept the challenge, slave?" "Yes, Master." John called out, "Hey Ed, come here." Ed had been expecting the call. He took his time and checked the kitchen one last time to make sure that nothing was out of place. He entered the room as if he had no clue what was going on. Ed asked, "What's up?" John smiled, "Beth wants to give you a blowjob." Beth attacked Ed's cock as if it was the most precious object in the world. She sucked it into her mouth and worked to get him erect. Her arms were still behind her back. Kelly watched how much effort that Beth was putting into the blowjob and realized that she had better come up with the right answer soon. She struggled, "She's doing it because I was mad at you guys. You were going to go away although I didn't want you to go. You were going to get lawyers and accountants to ruin my group marriage." John smiled and shook his head, "Close, but not correct." Kelly couldn't believe that Ed was already erect and starting to move his hips in time with Beth's sucking. She was getting very upset. She felt that they were trying to get her to admit that she was wrong about something. She had done nothing wrong. This group marriage was her dream and they were destroying it for their own desires. Her thoughts continued in this direction for several minutes. She noticed that Ed was starting to groan. He was close to coming and she was no closer to an answer. She couldn't let Beth's unselfish acceptance of the challenge turn into punishment. That's when the answer hit her like a bolt of lightening. She stated, "I've been a selfish bitch and she was going to yell at me." As soon as she said it, Kelly knew it was an accurate assessment of her behavior. She had been thinking of this as her marriage and not our marriage. She was more concerned with her needs than with their needs. She hadn't trusted them to look out for everyone's interests. She wanted to kick herself as she realized that she had been holding back on her love for them because she couldn't allow herself to trust them. Ed came in Beth's mouth. Beth grinned around his cock as her mouth filled with cum. It dribbled down her chin. Ed leaned over and kissed her. When he stood up, both of their lips were covered with cum. He smiled, "That was great." John smiled, "Slave, I guess you were spared this time from getting this bat up your rear. She got it just before Ed came." Beth stated, "Thank you, Master." John reached down and helped Beth stand up. She stood in a relaxed posture realizing that her role as slave was over for now. Unfortunately, the whole situation had aroused her tremendously and she was in dire need of relief. He smiled and kissed her gently on the forehead. He stated, "Thank you, Beth. She whispered in his ear, "You can thank me by fucking me senseless." John laughed and pulled her into the bedroom, leaving Ed and Kelly alone in the living room. Kelly looked at Ed for a minute before asking, "can we talk?" ------- Chapter 7 John parked his car in front of the Sheriff's office. He had no idea why he had returned. There was only a singled-minded urge to come to this place. He got out of the jeep followed by Rover. From experience, he was sure that he would be the subject of curiosity, but people walked by without taking much notice of him. He looked around the town and felt that something was subtly different. He entered the Sheriff's office with Rover following behind him. Rover sat down in a corner to watch. He called out, "Hey, I heard there was a jail cell with my name on it and I've come to claim it." The Sheriff came out the back room shouting, "John Carter!" "Hi Sheriff. How are things?" "Funny you should ask that. I've been on the phone all morning looking for you and then you just walk into my office." He moved over to his desk and sat down. He gestured to a chair for John. He never noticed Rover seated in the corner of the room. John sat down in the chair and faced the Sheriff. He was extremely surprised to learn that the Sheriff had been looking for him. He knew it couldn't have been to testify in court. The guy who had tried to kill Amy, the Sheriff's daughter, had been killed in jail. John frowned, "Looking for me?" The Sheriff glanced down and licked his lips in a manner that suggested he had some unpleasant news to deliver. "I don't know of a good way to say this, so I'll just come right out and say it. Old Jed died late last night." John didn't understand why the news upset him as much as it did. He had very little interaction with Jed, but it was always very intense. The walking stick in his hand seemed to feel warmer than before and the cloth of his cloak felt softer somehow. "That's a shame. I liked Jed although we hardly exchanged more than three hundred words. He was a master craftsman. He gave me this walking stick and my cloak." "Yes, he was. He was also a very curious figure in this town. He was always gone, traveling to exotic locations all over the world. You never knew when he was going to be here or gone. He had special customers that were all just a little strange. " John laughed, "You mean like me?" The Sheriff was actually quite fond of John and, if pressed, wouldn't be able to tell you why. John had saved his daughter from being killed and had changed her life from being a wild girl to a highly driven young lady. Even if John hadn't done those things, he would still have liked him. "You're one of a kind, John. They broke the mold when they made you, thank God. Anyway, I was looking for you to ask you to come here. There are some important legal things that must be resolved." John was puzzled and his features showed it. He asked, "What kind of legal things?" "His lawyer came by this morning and asked me to locate you. He said he had some important papers to give to you. Now that you are here, let me call him." The Sheriff followed his words with the deed by dialing the lawyer. The conversation over the telephone lasted less than a minute and consisted of greetings followed by the information that John was in the Sheriff's office. The lawyer must have had his office right next to the Sheriff because almost as soon as the telephone was hung up, the lawyer opened the door. He was in his fifties and sported a gray handlebar mustache. He wore a simple hat, a checkered shirt, boots, and blue jeans held up by suspenders. He entered the room and stepped towards the corner where Rover was watching him. John warned him, "Watch out for my cat." The lawyer looked down and spotted Rover looking up at him. He jumped, "Jesus!" John waved a hand in an attempt to calm the lawyer down, "Don't worry. He won't attack you." When the lawyer stepped out of the way, the Sheriff saw Rover for the first time. He shook his head, "I've got to ask. Do you have a permit for that thing?" John frowned, "Well, not really. He followed me out of the woods and won't let me out of his sight except to hunt." The Sheriff shook his head, "I won't do anything about it. You had better stay away from the Game Warden." John laughed, "Don't worry, the Game Warden won't do anything. I know that for a fact." The lawyer had watched the exchange and frowned. He didn't like people who thought they were above the law. He was beginning to worry if he had been wise in taking on Jed's legal needs. He cleared his throat, "I take it you are John Carter." John liked the lawyer almost immediately. He answered, "At your service. And you are?" The lawyer replied, "I'm Sam Perry. I was the lawyer for Mr. Jed Hart." John extended his hand and stated, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Perry." Sam reluctantly shook the hand that had been extended to him. He was surprised at the politeness that this kid exhibited. However, that didn't counter the distaste he felt about a guy who thought he was above the law. He stated, "I need to see two forms of identification." John nodded. He pulled out his driver's license and handed it to the lawyer. He then reached into another pocket and pulled out his FBI credentials. He opened both of them and showed them to the lawyer. The lawyer looked up and revised his opinion of John immediately. Of course, no Game Warden would take away a cat that had FBI identification. He stated, "I apologize. I was not aware that Rover was a federal employee." John laughed, "He insisted on it when I was getting the ID. I'm glad he did. It really helped when he caught a bank robber in Salt Lake City." The Sheriff glanced over at the identification and sat back in shock. He had not known that John was a FBI agent. It was very surprising considering John's appearance. It wasn't that he was prejudiced, but he had never met a law enforcement official that looked like John. He asked, "When did you become an FBI agent?" "About a year ago, I guess." John thought back and realized that he couldn't remember dates. It was odd, time wasn't very important to him. The lawyer finished copying down the information from the two forms of identification. He double-checked his work and then stated, "Mr. Carter. Jed left his store to you. He insisted that you take over its operations immediately. He left several envelopes for you. All but one are for others, but are in your care until delivered." As the lawyer handed him a small box, John replied, "I beg your pardon?" "I said that Jed left the store to you." John replied, "I wonder why he would do that." Mr. Perry answered the unspoken question. "I suppose the answer is in the box." John opened the box. Inside were a number of envelopes and some keys. He looked through the envelopes and pulled out the one that was addressed to him. He opened it and pulled out the three page handwritten letter. He started to read with misty eyes. Dear John, If you are reading this letter, then I am dead. I have chosen you to take care of my store until my replacement is chosen by the Gods and Goddesses. I have chosen you because you serve both a God and a Goddess. All but one of the medallion holders will recognize you as a peer. That is more important than you may realize. You will not be required to do much regarding the store. The staff is used to working without the owner's presence. You will need to be here for Midsummer's and Midwinter's day so that you can guide my replacement to the store. Once that person arrives, you can hand the keys and ownership of the store over to them. You will want to meet them close to that special place, but do not enter it unless you are called as before. Once you have found them, you will not have to do anything further. I would like Mary Darling to perform the funeral rites. You should have an envelope addressed to her. If Mary does not show up within three days of my death, then allow the funeral director at Shady Lawn to handle the arrangements. I have left explicit directions with the funeral director on how to handle my body. The field behind the store is store property and is perfect for erecting tents. If there are guests, then use it. Please use any moneys from the store to arrange for food and drink. There is an envelope for the manager of the store that provides instructions on catering the funeral. I expect a number of medallion holders will show up for the funeral. Several of them are important and you should talk with them. I have left envelopes for them. You will need to talk to Mary Darling, she's a very important servant of the Goddess. Take at least an hour to talk to Jerry Smith. He's a very important servant of the God. The third individual that you should talk to is Harry. I do not know his last name. He serves the Two-sided One and is the only one that won't recognize you as a peer. I must warn you that he is gifted with the power of prophecy. You may not want to hear what he says, but that choice is not yours to make. Finally, one last individual may contact you. He is Grey Wolf. I don't think that is his real name, but it is the only one that he answers to now. He is a most difficult person to deal with, but will have much to teach you. You will recognize him by his companion wolf. Please let everyone know that it has been my pleasure to serve with them. Each one of you is special in some way. There are many mysteries left, but I am sure that soon many of them shall be resolved. May your trail be long and happy, Jed Hart, Druid John looked up at the lawyer and the Sheriff. "There is much that I need to do and I think time is getting short. I will need your services again, Mr. Perry, but I'm not sure when. My custody of the store is only temporary. I am to give it to one who shall come at a later time." Sam nodded, "I understand. Jed was like that too. He knew things, but couldn't tell you details. Call on me when you need me." John nodded, "Thank you. I'll leave now." The Sheriff and Sam sat there watching John get up and leave. The cat stood up and followed him out. They could tell that the little pause at the door by John and the slight surge forward by the cat were habitual. Sam turned to the Sheriff stating, "The Plutonian Circus is coming to town. Do you think there will be any trouble?" The Sheriff laughed, "Trouble? No, I don't think so. This town is going to be more peaceful and calm than it has ever been. Every one of them will be like him, serious, intense, deliberate, and kind." Sam shook his head, "You don't know the towns people." "You don't know the Plutonian Circus." John arrived at the store. As he entered, a young couple with a child stepped out of the store. The kid wanted to pet Rover, but the mother pulled him away before he could extend his hand. John laughed at Rover's reaction, which was to hit the woman in the ass with his tail. The store was open for business and the staff inside was hard at work. He had never seen anyone in here except for Jed and was quite surprised by how many employees were in the store. He looked around and didn't spot any customers. A young man came up to him, "May I help you sir?" John stated, "I am John Carter." "Ah, you are the new owner," replied the young man. He turned to face the rest of the store and whistled by putting his thumb and middle finger in his mouth. The sound was loud and carried throughout the store. Everyone stopped what he or she were working on and headed to the front of the store. John watched as ten people formed a semi-circle in front of him. There was a subtle tension in the air as people glanced at each other and then at him. Several of them recognized the walking stick and cloak that John wore as items that Jed had created. John cleared his throat. "Hello everyone, I'm John Carter and I am the new owner of the store. To set your minds at ease, there will be no changes in personnel. Every one will retain their job. Like Jed, I travel extensively. That means I won't be here for the day to day operations." The effect of his words was immediate. Every one gathered there relaxed as they heard that their jobs were not on the line. He reached into his box and pulled out the letter that was addressed to the current manager. He looked around hoping that one of the badges would identify the individual who was the manager. His hopes were dashed when he saw each nametag only gave a first name. "Who is the manager?" A middle aged woman stepped forward. "I am Maggie Baron." John handed her the envelope. He stated, "He left this for you. Please read it and follow the instructions." He clapped his hands, "Every one, please go back to what you were doing. I'll be here for a few days and will have a chance to meet and talk with each of you individually. Please, don't worry about your jobs. The store is only mine temporarily." He stopped at the counter and set his box on it. He turned and was about to exit the store when he stated, "Oh, some of you may want to call your families and let them know that your jobs are safe." John left the building to examine the land behind the store. Rover followed him. As he was leaving the store he heard one of the employees say, "He's exactly like Jed. He gives a short speech that goes straight to the point and then he leaves." John walked around to the back of the store. There was a huge field behind it. The grass was tall and lush green. He looked around and spotted a riding mower parked in an open garage behind the store. Smiling, he went over to it and started it. He needed to do something to take his mind off the events of the day. Rover sat down fifty feet from the mower, his ears bothered by the noise. John mowed two strips of land, one on each side of the gate so that there was a nice patch of soft grass between them. The strips were ten yards wide by fifty yards long. It felt good to do the work and he was significantly more relaxed once it was done. He parked the mower back in the spot where he had found it. Rover came over to him and rubbed his head against John's knee. Rover headed off into the woods. John smiled as Rover went out to hunt. He returned to the store and looked for Maggie. After looking through almost the whole store, he found the manager's office. He wanted to kick himself for not looking there first. He knocked on the door and waited until he heard her invitation to enter. He entered, "Hello." Maggie looked up in surprise, "You didn't need to knock. This is your place now." John smiled, "I would rather wait a minute and allow you to prepare for a visitor than to interrupt you." "What can I do for you?" "I was wondering where I could pick up two porto-potties." Maggie laughed, "Sir, you are so much like Jed. He'd give me a job and then do it himself. Relax. I've got everything covered. I asked a kid to come over and mow some spaces for tents." John interrupted feeling rather sheepish, "Too late. I already did that." Maggie shook her head, "Okay. I've also ordered a couple of picnic tables, several portable ceramic fireplaces, two porto-potties, and enough food for fifty for three days." John looked surprised, "Wow, you work fast." "Not really. I started when I learned this morning that he had passed away." There was a slight softening in her voice as she spoke. John looked down. He stated, "I'm sorry for your loss." She smiled, "You know, I've worked here for years. I saw him an average of two weeks a year. I really didn't know him that well." John nodded, "I guess I can understand that, but you still miss him." "Am I that transparent?" John shook his head, "No." "Thank goodness." John sat there for a moment and then stated, "She has come. I better go out and greet her." "Just like Jed," she replied to his comment. Jed had done that kind of thing to her all of the time. John stood up and stepped out of the office. He briskly walked to the front of the store where a tall black-haired woman stood. She was dressed in black leather pants and shirt. Everything was tight on her. She wore silver armbands on her biceps and a silver necklace. You could see the trace of a gold chain and a medallion under the leather top. John walked up to her, "I'm John Carter. You must be Mary Darling." She nodded once. He went to the counter and removed an envelope from the box. He handed it to her, "This is for you." She looked down at it and then back at him. She pursed her lips and studied him carefully. She stated, "You serve her?" "Yes." She opened the envelope and removed a simple letter from it. She glanced over the letter and then looked up in surprise, "You serve him too?" "Yes." She made a small humming noise and examined John some more. She looked back down at the letter and shook her head. She stated, "Jed wants me to teach you the burial rituals." "Pardon?" She sighed, "You need to come with me. Do you have a car?" "Yes." "Then lets go." John shook his head, "Not yet." She was irritated. She didn't want to teach him the rites and she didn't like to waste her time standing around. She asked, "Why?" "I have to wait for the cat. He'll go crazy if he comes back and I'm not here." She laughed at the idea of this big guy waiting around for his kitty cat. She wondered if it was a generic tabby cat or something. She asked, "What kind of kitty cat do you have?" "A cougar." She straightened up at that. She agreed, "We wouldn't want him to go crazy on us." "Let's go outside and wait for him. He won't be long." She walked out the store followed by John. He was still wearing his cloak and carrying his walking stick. He stopped next to the jeep while she walked over to a black corvette. She opened the trunk and removed a small box from within it. The box was totally black, so black that it almost hurt the eyes to look upon it. John hadn't been there for more than five minutes when Rover came trotting around the corner of the building. Rover looked at Mary and then back at John. John opened the door to the jeep and Rover jumped in. He made his way to the back seat and lay across the entire back. Mary slipped into the front seat still holding the black box. John closed the door and went around the car. At the funeral home, Rover uncharacteristically stayed in the car. John went in the back entrance with Mary who talked in hushed tones with the funeral director. She thanked him for allowing her to use his facilities. He asked some questions about what she was going to do, but his questions suddenly stopped when she pulled a piece of paper from the black box and let him read it. John watched and took notes as Mary went through the first ritual of preparing the body. He had expected the ritual to very complicated, but it was actually quite simple. She washed the body, placed it on a wooden plank that was about eight feet long, and then bound the body to the plank by wrapping it with very wide white linen. She affixed the end of the linen to the rest with a single silver pin that she removed from the black box. The entire time she worked, she talked to the body as though it were alive. As John watched, he swore there were times when Jed answered. They returned to the store to find that several tents had been erected behind it. As they exited the car, John asked the question that had bothered him the entire time that he was watching her prepare the body. "Okay, what was that piece of paper that you showed him?" Mary smiled, "That was a document stating that I am allowed to perform pagan burial ceremonies that include open air cremation. It was signed by the Surgeon General." "Oh." She continued, "After you have learned the ceremony, I'll get one for you." John swallowed heavily. He asked, "Does that mean that I'll be performing the ceremony in the future?" She shook her head, "I doubt it. You'll only do it if I die before a successor has been selected by the Goddess. Then, I guess your first time will be with me. This is my calling, not yours." "May your path be long and your journey happy." She laughed, "So you want me to live forever? No, I too will pass as all mortals eventually pass. Now, I must get my camping supplies out of the trunk and set up camp." John, followed very closely by Rover, went through the store to reach the property behind it. On the way, he picked up the box. Once in the back, he started to introduce himself to those camped there. The very first tent was occupied by a very small and skinny guy and one very large grizzly bear. Rover and the bear greeted each other and then spent the rest of the time staring at each other. The bear's name was actually Smoky and that made John wonder how these animals chose their names. The guy, with the very ironic name of Adams, was a forest ranger and worked to protect the environment. He was a doctor of chemistry. John walked from one tent to another talking with those around them. The variety of roles held by the various people was amazing. While he was there, even more people arrived. He was beginning to wonder how many were going to show up. His attention was grabbed by a sudden howl from in front of the store. He turned to see a wolf come bounding around the building to first tent. The bear let loose a loud roar, Rover let loose with a growl, and the wolf let loose with a howl. John watched as the three ran towards the woods together. He watched Rover go until someone tapped him on the shoulder. "Is that your cat?" John looked at the guy standing next to him. He was scruffy to the point that he looked like a homeless bum. He answered the question, "Yes, that's Rover." "Don't worry. The familiars always run off for a little privacy when they get together. Moony and Rover will along just fine." "I'm John Carter. I take it you're Grey Wolf." "Right you are." John reached into his box and riffled through the envelopes. Grey Wolf's was the second to last one in the stack. He handed the letter to him. "Jed wrote this for you." The man opened the letter and read it very slowly. He nodded the whole time he was reading it. He looked up at John for a minute and studied him very carefully. With a suddenness that shocked John, Grey Wolf went to slap him. John stepped back and interposed the walking stick between his face and the hand that was arcing toward it. The bottom of the stick swung towards Grey Wolf's groin. Grey Wolf stopped his hand just before it made contact with the stick. This was fortunate because his hand hitting the walking stick would have driven it into his groin. He smiled, "Okay, I'll train you. We'll have to wait until everyone else is gone though." John didn't even have a chance to reply before Grey Wolf walked off. He watched the man walk off. Jed had warned him that Grey Wolf would be difficult. He wasn't sure if difficult was the right word to use. He went on his way to meet others. The next person he met introduced himself as Jerry Smith. John pulled out the letter from his box and handed it to Jerry. He opened it and read it very carefully. He read it a second time and then studied John for a minute. He returned to the letter and read it a third time. "Interesting. You serve two. May I see your medallions?" John was rather surprised at the request, but he slowly fished them out from his shirt. He held them up for Jerry to examine. Jerry stated, "Come with me tonight thirty minutes before the setting of the sun and we will talk." John tucked the medallions back into his shirt. He felt better the minute they were hidden. He replied, "Okay. I will look for you." Jerry looked over John's shoulder with an expression of panic. "Oh shit. Harry's here. Bye" Jerry ran off in a direction designed to avoid Harry. A path appeared between Harry and John as people backed out of the way. John watched as the phenomenally fat man walked in his direction. Harry shouted, "I want my letter from Jed and I want it now." John pulled out the envelope that had Harry written on the front. He waved the envelope. Harry made a beeline directly to John and grabbed the letter out of his hand. In half a second he had shredded the enveloped and crumpled the pages within it as he read them. He stopped and stared at John for five full minutes. The intensity of the stare drew a crowd who gathered to see what was going to happen. He opened his mouth to speak and every one leaned forward to hear it. He shut his mouth just as suddenly and looked back at the paper. "Time is a funny thing to a prophet. Past, present, and future tend to blur together. Yesterday, I did not know you and didn't greet you. Today, I met you and greet you as John Carter. Some tomorrow I shall meet you and greet you with honors." Harry gave a half bow and walked away. John stood there and watched Harry walk away. Harry removed his backpack and opened it. John turned and saw the crowd of people staring at him. There were hushed conversations. John asked, "Could someone explain to me what just happened?" Mary stepped forward, "I have no idea, but it looked like he swallowed his prophecy." Jerry stated, "he did give a prophecy. He said he was going to met you twice." Another person countered, "He always gives his prophecies in verse. No verse, no prophecy." Harry came back wearing his backpack. He turned to John, "I must leave now." John nodded, "You are welcome to stay." "No. I must go now. I have honored Jed in the fashion he requested." Harry looked around the group of people. He was unwilling to pull anyone away from here. He ran from them all. In front of the store, the very first person he ran into was the Sheriff. He grabbed him by the arm and the prophecy spilled out of him. Power incredible shall come from his hands, Oil and gas disappear from all our lands. A wise and just ruler shall soon be, Honored by all Druids including me. A temple of advanced learning shall be decreed, Through great knowledge shall we be freed, After a life filled with moments of intense strife, A glorious grove made holy by his life. Once it had been stated, Harry relaxed. He apologized to the Sheriff and left. The Sheriff stood there for several minutes. He knew exactly what the prophecy meant and who it was about. He could not see John until he had a chance to work out how to hide the truth from him. A much sadder man walked back to his office. Fortunately, he was incorrect in his interpretation of the prophecy. For John, the rest of his stay was one continuous education. Mary taught him the remainder of the burial ceremony and the universal oneness of all on the planet. Jerry taught him the arts of war as befitted a servant of the God. Grey Wolf taught him how to bind himself closer to Rover so that they could share each other's senses. ------- Chapter 8 John sat at his desk in his laboratory at the University of Texas. He examined the blueprints that he had created for his device very carefully. He then examined the part that he held in his hand. Using the calipers, he double-checked the dimensions for a third and final time. He was now satisfied that all parts were within the tolerances specified in his design. He assembled the device and held it up to examine the final product. It was about the size of a walnut and cost close to two hundred dollars to manufacture. He had the parts for ten such devices. A larger quantity of those devices could drop the manufacturing cost down to two dollars. He stared at the device for a long time wondering if it would work as his calculations had suggested. His calculations stated that a considerable amount of heat would be given off, but very little dangerous radiation. The atomic particles would be absorbed by the device itself. He expected very little gamma radiation to be generated at all. It looked too good to be true and as a good scientist, he doubted his own predictions. He removed the top half of the device and looked down into the well that was in the base. He put two milliliters of liquid from a small flask and replaced the top half of the device. He did not tighten it because he was unwilling to start the fusion reaction yet. He took the device over to his laboratory bench and set the device gently on it. The calorimeter was assembled and ready for use. He had already tested it three times. The first time was to calibrate it and the second two times were to make sure that the calibration was accurate. He checked all of the connections again. Everything was fine and there was no reason to delay the experiment any more. He licked his lips in nervousness, this was the part that he dreaded. He picked up the device and put it in the vise. He started screwing the top down using the torque wrench to monitor the torque on the bolt. The pressure inside the well climbed dramatically with each turn of the bolt. When the torque wretch read the desired value, he quickly removed the device from the vise using pliers to hold it. It was already getting hot. He set it in the water bath of the calorimeter and sealed the calorimeter. He watched the readout of the calorimeter with single-minded focus. The temperature kept climbing. His device was generating heat at an incredible rate. When the water temperature within the calorimeter approached boiling, he opened it to allow heat to escape and to protect the expensive equipment from being damaged. The water began to boil. He dumped the water with the device into a larger bucket containing water and let the device start to heat that container. He went to his computer and looked at the computed results. His little device was producing almost 5.2 Kilowatts. It was producing sufficient energy to run fifty-two 100-Watt light bulbs. If his calculations were correct, it would produce that energy for approximately six months before starting to degrade. At the end of a year, it would be producing half that amount. Of course, increasing the pressure in the cell at that point would return the energy production to the original level. At the end of two years, the reaction would die. The death would be a result of the materials having been consumed by the reaction. He grabbed some tongs, fished the device out of the water, and carried it over to the vise. Fastening it in the vise, he used a wrench to remove the pressure in the well. Once the pressure driving the reaction had been removed, the device started cooling down. He smiled as he waited for it to cool down enough that he could touch it. It took far longer to cool down than it had taken to heat up. He went over to his desk and examined the papers in front of him. There were three sets of papers. He signed one of them and set it aside. The other, he added a couple of numbers in blanks left on one of the pages. He stood up and got his cloak. Putting it on, he stretched to work some of the tension out of his shoulders. Returning to the desk, he picked up the three sets of papers. As he walked to the door, he grabbed his walking stick. Rover followed him out of the office. He strolled down the hall to the office of his former advisor, Dr. Drake. Rover followed him unconcerned and uninterested in anything except getting back to the lab to finish his nap. As John walked, he hummed a little tune to himself. In fact, it was hard for him to maintain a walk. He wanted to run down the hall screaming, "I did it!" However, he kept himself under control. He even stopped at the photocopy machine and waited his turn to make a photocopy of the paper. Reaching his destination, he knocked on Dr. Drake's office door. He was given a gruff reply, "Can you come back in an hour?" John cleared his throat, "No. I need to see you now." Dr. Drake opened the door irritated at the interruption. "John, I like you, but get lost. I have a lot of work to do and I can't spare the time. Come back tomorrow." "Fuck that, sign this." Dr. Drake staggered back as if he had been sucker punched. He reacted angrily, "What is it?" "A nondisclosure agreement. You have to sign it before I give you a paper." Dr. Drake grabbed a pen and scribbled his name on the form. He handed the form back to John and stated, "Now go." John smiled as he handed Dr. Drake a copy of his paper. He turned and headed to the University Patent Office. As he went, he shouted, "Remember, you can't tell anyone." John had almost reached the end of the hall when he heard a loud scream behind him. "John, where are you? This is fucking incredible!" John laughed aloud as he knew that Dr. Drake had read the important page of his paper. He turned to see Dr. Drake bolt out of his office. The elderly man looked up and down the hall. Spotting John, he ran to the young man shouting, "Noble Fucking Prize!" Other people emerged from their offices to see what caused the commotion in the hall. They were greeted by the sight of Dr. Drake waving a paper as he ran towards John. Rover started to growl until he saw that John was completely unperturbed by the man's behavior. When he reached John, he grabbed him while stating, "Can I see it?" John replied, "Let me drop off the patent application. Then I'll bring you into the lab and you can see it for yourself." Dr. Drake followed John on his errand. It was quite a sight as John walked down the hall followed by Rover with Rover followed by Dr. Drake. When they reached the office where he was to drop off the patent application, Dr. Drake banged on the desk until the appropriate attorney came out to deal with the issue. The patent attorney had received his undergraduate degree in physics. Hence, he had a good grasp of the significance of the patent application that John handed him. He read it several times very carefully and then stated, "Congratulations. Your paperwork is excellent. I don't need to touch this at all. I'll get it filed by the end of the week. You'll be able to hold a press conference in two days time." John smiled, "thank you. I don't think I'll do the press release thing myself. I'm sure the University has a good public relations person who can handle it." Dr. Drake was bouncing on his toes. Frustrated, he interrupted, "Let's go back to the lab. I want to see it!" John laughed, "I better go. He's getting anxious and I'd hate to see him have a heart attack." The trip back to the lab was performed in a different walking order. Dr. Drake lead the way, followed by John and Rover walking side by side. Dr. Drake had to stop often to wait for them to catch up. As John walked, he realized that he had just done another great service to the Goddess. At the lab, John unlocked the door and let his visitor into the room. He went to the desk and held up the parts for the device. He assembled it as the elderly man watched carefully. He removed the top and placed two milliliters of the liquid into the well. He replaced the top. Once that was completed, he turned to Dr. Drake stating, "I need to set up the calorimeter." Dr. Drake replied, "Let me do it." In a few minutes, the calorimeter was set up for another experimental run. John double-checked the work and decided it was fine. He asked, "Do you want to calibrate it?" "No. I just want to see it work." John set the device in the vise and tightened it in. He took the torque wrench and screwed the top bolt into the well until it read the proper number of foot-pounds. Taking the pliers, he grabbed the device and released it from the device. He carefully set the device in the water bath of the calorimeter. He closed the calorimeter and turned to watch the meter. Dr. Drake whistled, "John, it really works. Look at the temperature rise." John waited until the water was nearly boiling and then opened the calorimeter. He used the pliers to remove the device from the water and took it to the vise. In a few seconds, he had the pressure removed from the well. He looked up, "Well, what do you think?" "John, you have succeeded. I saw the parts go together. I set up the calorimeter. I saw it heat that water to boiling." John walked over to the computer and hit a button. In half a second the result appeared. He smiled, "5.17 Kilowatts." Dr. Drake shook his head, "Such a simple thing. So what are you going to do now?" John looked serious for a moment, "I'm going to head over to the mechanical engineering department and see if they can design a nice generator for it. We need to convert the heat to electricity somehow." "Good idea," replied Dr. Drake. He added, "Thank you for letting me be the first to see this." "My pleasure." John spent the next four hours with a group of mechanical engineers; each had signed his non-disclosure agreement. They worked out the details of a very simple alternator that should produce electricity with an efficiency of 81%. The device that John had designed was incorporated into the design of the alternator, which actually made it smaller. An argument, quite heated at times, led them to decide that it would be better to incorporate four of the fusion wells into the alternator. The finished device was approximately the size of a shoebox with poles sticking out the top. In short, it looked like a pint-sized automobile battery with a radiator built into it. When constructed it should produce 110 volts AC at 16 kilowatts. They agreed that the resulting design was to be patented under all of their names. The basic design would be documented appropriate for patenting tomorrow. They would build a prototype of the alternator and test it out. One of the engineers knew a custom engine shop where they could get the main block built. John agreed with the plan and promised to return the next day to review the patent application and sign it. John stepped outside and looked around. Rover's tail swished back and forth in agitation. It was nearly evening and the sky was filled with clouds that hung low to the ground. The wind blew his cloak out and his hair back. The clouds were moving fast. He could smell in the air that it was going to rain soon. He needed to get to his jeep. As John walked, he tried to mentally calculate how many of the alternators would be required to power a typical household. He decided two would suffice for the basic electrical wiring in the house. A third set up to produce 220Volts AC could be used for electric air conditioner, heater and water heaters. The number of uses and sizes for the alternators was huge. He realized how much money would result from the patents that he had set in motion. He stopped abruptly, an act that caused Rover to bump into him. Rover looked up at him and then sat down. John pricked his finger and drew a drop of blood. He flicked it to the ground as he stated aloud, "I swear that ninety-five percent of the moneys earned by me from this invention shall be used in the service of the Gods and Goddesses." As soon as he finished swearing the oath, three large bolts of lightening struck the ground around him. Rover jumped six feet in the air at the sound. John dived to the ground in shock. John and Rover stared at each other in shock for a full minute. John lamely spoke to Rover, "I guess they are going to hold me to that oath." They stood up and ran to the parking lot. They were safely in the jeep before the clouds cuts loose with a pounding driving rain. John pulled out of the parking lot slowly since the wipers could hardly keep up with the sheet of water that washed across the windshield. He had just turned the corner out of the university when he noticed an elderly lady lying on the sidewalk. He pulled the car over to the curb, much to the irritation of the other drivers, and stopped the jeep. He got out and headed over to the woman. The cloak, with its hood up, kept him dry even in the blowing storm. When he reached her, he knelt down, "Ma'am, are you okay?" "Oh, I fell down. I think I broke my hip." John nodded, "Hold on." He ran back to his jeep and opened the back door. He pulled out his backpack. Rover looked out the open back door. He wasn't going to let John close it. John returned to the woman. He removed the tarp that was attached to the bottom of the pack. It took him several minutes to set up the tarp in his basic tent configuration to keep the water off her. He pulled the blanket out of his backpack and laid it over her to keep her warm. He realized that he had a couple of chemical hand warmers that someone had given him as a gift. He broke open one and activated it. He handed it to her. "Use this to help keep you warm. Let me get some help here. I'll be right back." He ran across the street to one of the stores. He burst in and shouted, "Call 911. We need an ambulance." He hesitated only long enough to see that the clerk in the store had picked up the telephone and dialed the number. He raced across the street narrowly avoiding being hit by a car. The driver honked his horn and shot him the finger. John crouched down at the entrance of the tent. "Help is on its way." "Thank you, young man. I thought I was going to die out here." John smiled, "I wouldn't worry about. The Goddess wouldn't let that happen to a nice lady like you." She stated, "It's so cold." Rover crawled into the tent and lay down beside the woman. She didn't realize that it was a cougar. Her first thought was that it was a big dog and then she realized it was a big cat. She began to get scared, but suddenly he started to purr. The sound of his purr and his body heat warming her took the edge off her fear. "That's Rover, he'll help keep you warm and safe. Don't worry, he's very gentle. I better look out for the ambulance." As John comforted her, he could hear the sound of the siren in the distance. It would take about two minutes for it to get here. He stood up and stepped to the curb. John saw the ambulance slowing at the end of the block. He stepped out into the street and started waving his walking stick. He realized that the light on it was lit. He didn't remember lighting it. This wasn't the first time that had happened to him. He filed the thought away for further examination. His motions were observed by the driver and the ambulance pulled up to the curb right next to him. "Hey, Hero. I see you're back in town." "Hi Harry. We have a broken hip under the tent." Harry walked over to the tent. He backed out as soon as he entered it. He shouted to John, "There's a cougar in there with her." "Ah, don't worry. He's with me." Harry entered the tent opening and started examining the woman. Rover slowly rose and left the tent, returning to the jeep through the open back door. Harry stated to the woman, "Hero over there sure makes it easy for me to help you guys. He didn't move you, but got you out of the rain and warm. Very good." The woman stated, "He's a wonderful young man. I'd be dead by now if it weren't for him." John waited outside and could hear everything they said. He was about to join in the conversation when Harry spoke. "You know the earthquake over in California? Well, Hero over there saved hundreds of people that day. He was actually on the national news that night. He also caught a couple of serial killers for the FBI this past year." John walked over to the ambulance where the driver was getting out the backboard to slide under her. He told the driver to give him a minute to lift up one side of the tent so that they could get better access to the woman. Returning to the tent, he wrapped the tarp around the walking on the side opposite of where the rain was blowing. He pulled up the tent pegs and lifted the whole side up. He looked under the side at Harry and stated, "You've been telling tall tales about me, haven't you Harry?" John continued, "Ma'am, don't believe a word he says. He thinks I walk on water, but if you look closely at my ankles you'll see they are plenty wet." Harry laughed, "I may be telling tall tales, but that's only because the truth is mighty tall when it comes to you, hero." The driver ducked under the side of the tent with the backboard. Together the men placed her on it and secured her to it. John pulled the tent side across the tent so that the men could stand up and carry her to the ambulance. It only took a minute to load her. They left once everything was secure. John returned to the tent and rolled up the blanket. It was soaked, but had served its purpose. He closed the backpack before it got too wet inside. He set everything down and proceeded to take down the tent. It only took him a moment to get everything together. He carried the wet dripping mess to the back of the Jeep. The back of the Jeep was soaked. He set the mess in the Jeep and closed the back door. He felt a touch on his shoulder and turned to see who it was. "Hello John. You're back two weeks and you don't even look us up." "Hello Officer Rickert. I'm sorry about not coming by. I was very busy the past two weeks. I'm sure you'll hear about it in a couple of days on the television news. I plan to make the rounds tomorrow. So anyway, how are you doing?" Officer Rickert smiled, "I was doing all right until I heard that you were back here being a hero. Harry couldn't wait to spread the news on the EMS radio." John laughed, "I bet that made your day!" "Well, I'm glad to see you. I heard you were now FBI." "I donate a little of my time to them. I do little odd jobs for them." Officer Rickert laughed, "Oh, is that what you call catching a serial killer? Since I've never done that, I wouldn't know whether it's the correct term or not. An odd job, I'll have to remember that." "Hey, all I did was find him. They did the hard work." Officer Rickert shook his head, "Right. I'll let you go now. You need to get home and into some warm clothes." John shook his hand, "I'll be seeing you tomorrow. I'm planning on stopping by the police station, the fire station, the hospital, and courts over the next two days. Then I'm going to go into hiding." "Hiding?" "Yeah. As I said, I've been busy the past two weeks. My name is going to be in all of the newspapers and on television." "It's that big?" John nodded, "Yes, it's that big." "Well, I better let you go. See you tomorrow." John waved, "Take it easy. I have to head out." John returned to the jeep and started the engine. He pulled away from the curb slowly and made his way to Mrs. South's. It wasn't a long drive and he was looking forward to getting out of the weather and spending a quiet evening at home. He entered the house to find Mrs. South watching the news. He sat down in his usual chair and watched along with her. When the news finished, he turned to her and asked, "Mrs. South, do you mind if I have someone stay here for a day or two?" She smiled at him, "Is it a young lady?" He shook his head in reply. "No, it is a man. This is purely business. He might bring his wife though." Mrs. South shrugged her shoulders, "Do you mind if I corrupt them?" John laughed, "No, I don't mind." She asked, "So how was work today?" "Very good. I finished part one and two of my project today. It should be on the news in a couple of days." She looked at him questionably. "Is it that important?" "Yes." Her curiosity was roused, "So tell me about it. You've been so secretive this visit." "I'm sorry. I really can't talk about it. That's why I'm having the lawyer fly in. I need to set up certain protections for what is going to happen after the news comes out." Mrs. South smiled at her renter and wondered what he was doing that required a lawyer. It was big enough that it would be covered by the news. Knowing him, he had rescued the President of the United States or something similar. She answered, "Okay, I won't ask any more questions." "Thanks. Now, I have to make a bunch of calls. I'll take you out to dinner when I'm done. How's that?" "Fine. Can my beau come along?" "That old degenerate? Of course, I don't want to be the only degenerate there." He laughed at the look on her face. She looked irritated until he included himself in the category of degenerate. She smiled back at him and waved him off. John made his telephone calls. He called Ed and got the telephone number for Jim. He called Jim and arranged for him to fly down in the morning. He would have to swing by the airport to pick him up. Jim was bringing his wife, Sherry, along. It looked like Rover was going to be riding in the back of the Jeep. Having finished arranging for a lawyer, he then called Jack. He explained the situation to Jack and wondered if he could come down tomorrow for a business meeting. Jack wanted to beg off, but John insisted that it was quite important and Jack relented. When he finally hung up the telephone, he realized that tomorrow was going to be a very busy day. John woke early in the morning after going to bed early. He wanted to be well rested for this day. After performing his daily ritual at dawn, he mapped out his agenda for the day. It was going to be very busy. That morning John stopped by the police station and greeted his old friends that worked there. Many of them were pleased that he had joined the ranks of law enforcement, but he did hear a number of jokes about how uppity federal agents were towards the local yokels. After that, he went to the fire station and visited with the arson investigator and some of the firemen that he had meet at local fires. He then headed to the school where he reviewed and signed the patent application for the fusion alternator. He asked that they all come to his house at three that afternoon to meet with the lawyer. He returned to the house and arranged for a large limousine to pick him up for the trip to and from the airport. He realized that he was going to have himself, three passengers, and Rover. There was no way the Jeep would hold that many passengers. He waited until one in the afternoon for the limousine to arrive. They went directly to the airport. John got out and went to the gate to wait for Jim and Sherry. Rover followed him. He was soon joined by the chauffeur who had come to carry any bags. His wait wasn't long as the plane pulled up to the gate almost immediately after his arrival. Jim and Sherry were among the last ones to leave the plane. They spotted John and walked over to greet him. Jim stepped up to John with his hand extended. "Hello, John. What's up that wouldn't wait until you got back to Arizona?" John shook his head, "we can't talk about it yet. Wait until we get to the house." "You have a house here?" "I rent a room from a very nice lady. I have for six years now." John didn't know Jim that well. They had talked on a few occasions, but he knew Jim had a very good reputation as a lawyer. It was his understanding that Jim had argued and won a case in the Supreme Court. Sherry eyed John speculatively, "A nice lady?" John laughed, "She's about to turn eighty." Sherry's eyes glittered, "Kinky." John knew he liked Sherry. She was always ready with a quip that made him laugh. It wasn't that she acted like the jolly fat lady; she was truly comfortable with herself. He laughed, "So do you guys have luggage?" Jim replied, "Yes." John hummed, "I'm waiting for the accountant. His plane should be here in thirty minutes." He turned to the chauffeur. "Do we have time to pick up the bags and get back to the gate to meet Jack?" The Chauffeur answered, "If they will give me the baggage claim tags, I'll get the luggage and carry it to the limousine." Jim pulled out the packet containing his ticket and removed the claim tags. He handed them over to the chauffeur. "Here you go. They are both simple brown bags." The chauffeur nodded. "I'll wait for you in the baggage claim area after you have picked up your other guest." John nodded, "Thank you." The four of them wandered towards the gate where Jack was supposed to arrive. The group was the subject of much discussion among others in the airport. John was wearing his cloak and carrying his walking stick. Jim was wearing a western style suit with a bola tie and boots. Sherry was wearing a moo-moo and sandals. Rover was just Rover. The plane that Jack was riding landed in due time. He was one of the first passengers to get off the plane. John wondered if he had flown first class. Jack looked around and then headed directly towards John. He approached with his arms wide to greet John with a hug. "Hey, John. You're looking good my friend." John warmly embraced Jack. He was actually very glad to see his friend. He looked like he had put on some muscle since the last time he had seen him. "Thanks, Jim. It looks like married life agrees with you. You've gained a little weight." Jack laughed, "It's not fat. That women of mine makes me exercise three times a day now." Sherry quipped, "Let me guess, horizontal exercise?" Jack stepped back and looked at her. He stated, "It's the kind of exercise I'm best at. I even look foreword to it." The whole group laughed at that. John performed the introductions. Jack was taken by surprise at meeting Rover. Once the introductions were over, John stated, "Let's head down to the baggage claim area." Jack stated, "I'll be flying back tonight, so I didn't bring any luggage." "Okay. The chauffeur is waiting for us down there." Jack stepped back, "For the guy that lives like a monk, you've taken to riding in limousines?" John laughed, "Only when I have more passengers than my Jeep can carry. If you haven't noticed, there are five of us and Rover takes up the space of two." The group headed down to the baggage claim area. The chauffeur was waiting for them. He looked at them with a rather funny expression as though they were the weirdest sight he had seen in his career as a chauffeur. They joined him and then followed as he led them to the limousine. Jim and Sherry sat at the front seat, John and Jack sat that the back seat, and Rover sat on the floor between them. The group arrived at the house without any problems. The ride was rather quiet, as everyone was wondering why John had brought them there. John was quiet because he didn't want to divulge the secret until he had everyone sign the non-disclosure agreement. The arrival at the house was greeted with a sigh of relief on his part. ------- Chapter 9 The meetings were over for the day. The mechanical engineers that had worked with John to develop the device had left a couple of hours ago. A light dinner had been eaten and everyone was relaxing in the living room. Jack had canceled his return home to work out some more of the details for the charity that John wanted established. Sherry asked, "This cold fusion thing, is it really that big of a deal?" Jim answered, "It will be worth trillions before everything is said and done. John's share for the basic fusion chamber and the fusion battery will probably run around 250 billion dollars. Even giving away 95% of the money as charity, he will end up with about twelve billion dollars." Jack added, "It's going to be a lot of work managing that charity. I hope you realize that John." John laughed, "No it's not." "What do you mean?" "We'll set up the foundation so that it has five major functions: education, health, crisis, research, and arts. Each of those functions will have a separate board that oversees the moneys allocated to them by the primary board. Education can start by endowing a chair at every university. Health can set up special programs for children in hospitals and special facilities for the aged. Crisis can manage a team for response to earthquakes, floods, fires, and other natural catastrophes. Research can set up an endowment system much like the academy of science for proven researchers. Arts can set up a academy of art for well known artists, authors, and music companies." He looked around to see if he still had everyone's attention. He continued, "There will be a board of directors that shall set funding allotments and establish the primary directions for each of those functional areas. The goals should be established to improve the life of the average person here and around the world." Sherry stared at John in amazement, "I find it amazing that you could have all that money and you would give it away like that. That you would want to help others to that extent is absolutely amazing." John added, "Well, I would like to be on the foundation board of directors in charge of allocating moneys to the five divisions. I think I would like Ed, Beth, Sherry, and Mrs. South on the board of directors as well." Mrs. South frowned, "I'd loose all of my retirement benefits. Besides, you don't want an old lady on the board." John laughed, "Mrs. South, don't worry about your pension. You will be taken care of for the rest of your life. I want you to set up the sex education program!" Mrs. South laughed aloud. Wiping tears from her eyes, "I can see it now. First course will be basic fucking. Second course will be on swinging and alternative lifestyles. The third course will be on bondage and discipline. The fourth course will be a hands on fuck- fest." Sherry looked at Mrs. South in open-mouthed astonishment. She had not expected that kind of language form a eighty-year-old woman. Recovering she stated, "You left out sex toys and fetish costumes." Mrs. South winked, "Honey, that's covered in basic fucking." John was laughing and hitting his thigh in amusement. Jack added, "I bet pornographic novels are taught in the English classes." Jim was holding his sides, from laughing so hard. He added, "Talk about motivating kids to learn how to read!" Mrs. South chuckled as she tried to get control of herself. "Okay, John. If I can help develop the sex education program, you've got me." Jim asked the question that had been bothering him all day. "Why are you so willing to give up so much money and power?" John was quiet for a moment as he thought about how to answer that question. "I would rather improve the world so that my grandchildren or great-grandchildren do not need to be financial wizards in order to have a good life. I have many friends and I would like to see their children live in a better world. If I kept the money, then everyone in later generations would live in a lesser world." John looked at everyone in the room. He continued, "This invention is going to change the entire world. Almost everyone that makes their living through petroleum products are going to loose their jobs. Utility companies could end up being the secondary source of power rather than primary source that they are today. Wall Street will suffer major losses in some areas and gains in another. The next ten years could be very rough for many people. If we don't invest the money to train people for different jobs, then we are looking at massive unemployment. If we ignore the arts and sciences, then the future for our children shall be dismal." John paused to take a sip of his coffee. His audience was spellbound by what he was saying. "A lot of things are going to get cheaper. Thirty dollars worth of material will run all of the electrical appliances in a typical household. Trains will be the most cost-effective way to move merchandise from one part of the country to another. Traffic will decrease tremendously. Cars will be powered by fusion batteries with the result that air pollution could become a historical footnote. Disadvantaged countries will not need to build a huge infrastructure to bring the benefits of civilization to remote areas." "The entire world is embarking on a fascinating journey. It is up to those with a vision for a good future to work hard to bring such a future about. We can make that future a reality by giving the right information to the people who are willing to accept it. It may be a small minority in the beginning, but in time it will grow as they live a better lifestyle than those that reject the ideas we give them." John lamely finished with, "Besides, I would never be able to manage that amount of money. It's way too much for my needs and I don't have many wants." Jack looked around the room at everyone else. He had known that John was able to attract good people to his side. Again, John had gotten good people to help him. He had to wonder what would happen when John Carter became a household name. He stated, "How will you maintain your privacy?" John replied, "Sherry, do you think I'll have any problems retaining my privacy where I currently live in Arizona?" She laughed, "I don't think so. First, they'll have to get through town. We're a nosy bunch there. Everyone is protective of his or her privacy, particularly with respect to strangers. Then they'll have to get past Maria. To do that, they'll have to kill her. She is so protective of you, that you wouldn't believe it. Then you have Ed, Beth, and Kelly. They will move heaven and earth to make sure that nothing bothers you. Finally, anyone that wants to go after you will have to get by Rover." Jim smiled, "Odds are, after the first dozen unwelcome visitors, they'll make the whole town a gated community. Only residents allowed." Jack smiled, "Okay. You win. I guess you've made an impact on the whole town." Sherry smiled, "He changed a few people that made it less than paradise. We appreciate the difference that he has made to the town. We don't even care that he is going to have two wives and a husband." John's eyebrows went up, "How did you know that?" Jim stated, "You can't hide it in that town. Those three look at you with absolute love, with a little lust thrown in." Jack mused, "I'm gonna have to mention that to Jenny. She might like that idea a lot. Besides, it might give me a chance to sleep late in the morning." John laughed, "Knowing Jenny, I bet she wakes you up two hours early just for a morning glory." Jack agreed, "Morning glory, afternoon delight, evening tango, and midnight madness, she loves them all." "And you complain?" "Not at all!" Jack laughed at the thought. He couldn't get enough of Jenny. His life was completely changed since meeting her. Sherry winked at Jim who smiled back at her. They had just agreed that at some point in time they were going to meet Jack and Jenny together. Who knows, they just might form a multiple partner marriage. John noticed the exchange. "So what great secret are you two hiding?" Sherry smiled demurely, "What do you mean?" John answered, "Most successful lawyers that I've met are married to skinny bitches with silicon enlarged breasts. Trophy wives, if I can use that term. So how is it that Jim married a real woman?" Sherry frowned, "Jim is a better man than that." John quickly clarified his statements, "I understand that Jim is a good man." Jim smiled, "Sherry, you know what he means. He's the only one in town that doesn't know about us." Sherry shrugged, "I didn't think about that." Jim answered, "I was dating one of those trophy women. I had gone to one of those horribly boring social functions with her. She was a real bitch, but everyone was jealous of me. Even I couldn't believe that she was with me." Sherry made one of the first catty remarks John had ever heard her make. "She had so much silicon that it had become a rare commodity." Jim laughed, "It wasn't that bad. Anyway, I'm standing there with blue balls because that woman hated sex. It is a common trait shared by all trophy wives. I'm trying out the finger foods in the buffet line and Sherry's standing over there. I tell her that the food is great. She thanks me for the compliment. I introduce myself and we start talking. Sherry asks why I'm not with a real woman." "The idiot tells me that he is with a real woman." Jim shook his head, "Then she tells me that a real woman loves to fuck her lover. She's not concerned about how her makeup looks. She's concerned that he feels well-fucked and appreciated." "He's looking at me like I just told him that I was from the moon. All he can do is say really." Jim laughed, "I was really thinking, REALLY, in all capital letters. So I ask her what will a real woman do. She tells me anything. After I ask for some clarification, she says, regular, oral, anal, threesomes, swinging, and anything else his imagination can come up with." "He asks me if I'd do a woman for him." John added, "Well, she up and tells me that she would for her lover, but what made me think that I qualified as her lover. She adds that I wasn't good enough for her. You talk about feeling like a fool. I'm standing there with an erection. I'm trying to pick up a woman that I figured would give her right arm to be out with a guy like me and she refuses." Sherry laughs, "You should have seen him. He really looked hurt." "I was hurt!" Sherry continued, "Well, he asks me why he isn't good enough. I tell him that a real man loves to fuck his woman and will do anything for her. I told him that he wasn't a real man." "Believe me, when I tell you that her comment really pissed me off. I wasn't a real man? Bull. I told her that I was more of a man than she could possibly handle." Sherry continued, "So I ask him if he'll suck a cock for me. You should have seen his face. He turned three shades of red." "I'm standing there being told that I wasn't a real man because I was unwilling to do what my lover may ask. First request that she spouts, I'm standing there like an idiot realizing that she was right." Sherry was quiet for a moment, "I had no idea what he was thinking. He just stood there and looked at me for a long time." "I wasn't seeing a fat woman standing in front of me. I was looking at someone that actually understood love. It wasn't about what you could do to make me happy, but what we could do to make each other happy. There was nothing that could be better than having a woman in my life who understood love and loved me." Sherry stated, "Well, the time that he spent looking at me was beginning to get very uncomfortable. Finally he blurts out that he would for a real woman." Jim shook his head, "It took me some time to convince her that I was serious, but finally she said that I could ask her out for a date. She warned me that it would take some wooing to land her. I've never regretted it." Sherry, "I took a chance on him. Poor skinny bitch with silicon boobs was out the door that night!" John smiled, "I knew you were the one that taught him how to give and receive love." Jack interjected, "John got me and Jenny together. He taught us about sharing ourselves with each other. It's a shame that people don't understand what love really is." John looked over at Mrs. South and noticed tears running down her face. He asked, "Mrs. South, are you okay?" She replied, "It was such a beautiful story. It reminds me of when I met my husband. I wouldn't marry him until I was sure that we were both willing to give as much to the marriage as possible. Every morning I woke my husband with a blowjob. I felt like it sent him off to work in the proper frame of mind." Sherry chuckled, "I do the same thing. Every morning, he wakes with my mouth on his cock." John looked at Jim for a minute trying to decide what to do. Finally, he stated, "We are making a group marriage. Jim, we wanted to ask you if you would help us with the legal issues. Jack, we wanted to ask you if you would help us with the financial issues." Mrs. South exclaimed, "That's great news John. Congratulations." Sherry got serious suddenly, "Ed is a part of that marriage?" "Yes, he is." "What does he say about Jim being involved?" John looked at Sherry and understood her concerns. He answered her question, "He was the one that recommended Jim." Sherry looked puzzled, "Ed hates Jim. He hates me." John smiled, "I hate to disappoint you, but he doesn't hate either of you. In fact, I think that he respects you." Jim frowned, "You don't know the kinds of things he said to Sherry. I told him that I would kill him if he ever said another word to her." John argued, "I do know." "There is no way you would ask me to do that if you knew." John was quiet for a minute. He asked, "Did you know that Ed was with me at the California Earthquake and in Salt Lake City when the serial killer was captured?" "No way. If he had been, we'd have heard all about it from him." John smiled, "Yes, there was a time that would have been true. Ed was the fourth person to reach the killer and make sure he wasn't going anywhere. He was the first person to get the victims out of the back of the car. He took care of them while everyone else was doing FBI kinds of things." Sherry looked very surprised, "Really?" "Yes, really." "That doesn't sound like Ed to me." John nodded in understanding. He stated, "We had a long talk about judging things by appearance afterwards. He said that he had been guilty of that with regards to you two. He mentioned that no matter how many nasty things he had said to you, that you still treated him politely." Sherry looked down at the ground, "That's true, but it was only because I was afraid of him." John stated, "he feels very badly about how he has treated you in the past. He has been trying desperately to find some way to make it up to you." Jim was quiet for a long time. Finally, he said, "I will do it because you have asked and I know you are a good man. That is if Sherry says it is okay." Sherry wasn't quite so forgiving. She asked, "What happened that day in the hospital that changed Ed?" John shrugged, "Do you really want to know?" "I must know." "The first time I met Ed he called me a wimp and wanted to get into a fight. You might say I won the fight handily. The next time I met him was when he took me to the hospital after the snake bites." "Why did you pick him to take you there?" "He was the only one who I knew there," replied John. "Wow! And you trusted a guy who had tried to beat you up the night before to take you straight to the hospital?" "Don't forget, he had just seen me walk through a hundred rattlesnakes. He was watching me cut each bite with a knife the whole drive." Jack interrupted, "Man, that must have been something to see. I never knew that." John waved a hand as if to signal that it was nothing. He continued with the story, "When we got to the hospital he saw my scars and learned the history behind them." "I've heard all about your scars, but I've never seen them. Would you show them to us?" "It would require me to disrobe completely." Sherry smiled, "It wouldn't bother me." Mrs. South added, "Nor me." John stood and stripped off his clothes. He stood in front of Sherry and slowly turned so that she could see all of the scars. Sherry paled as she saw the burn, the bullet holes, and the jagged cuts. Mrs. South had her hand over her mouth. She stated, "My God. Betsy told me that you were all scarred up, but I never realized." He continued with his story, "Beth was the doctor on staff at the hospital. She treated the bites and then asked if she could see my scars. Ed was standing there with a funny look on his face. As I stood there, just like I'm doing right now, Beth pointed to each scar and stated the history behind it. I think that is when Ed underwent his great change." Sherry stated, "you must have been in an explosion." John shook his head, "I received each one, one at a time. Everyone represents someone that I saved. Betsy called them my medals of valor. I don't know about that." "Each one represents a saved person?" "Yes, sometimes more than one person." Mrs. South stated, "He ran into burning buildings, covered people in shot-outs, carried injured people out of gun battles, and pulled people out of burning cars. Of course, most people that he saves aren't in such dire circumstances. I don't think anyone actually knows how many people whose lives he has saved." Jack added, "He's probably affected the lives of more people than I've ever met." Sherry stared a John for a long time. She hadn't seen anything that affected her more. She was startled that after looking at him so long that she hadn't noticed the size of his cock. She licked her lips and looked down at Jim. Jim smiled back at her. She finally said, "I can see where that would affect Ed. Ed had always been a braggart and a bully. He talked a good story, but he had never done anything. He learned in that moment what it meant to be a real man. He doesn't boast or brag, he just acts and then goes on." John nodded in agreement. Jim looked at Sherry and asked, "Well?" Sherry was silent for quite a while. She sighed, "I guess you should do it." Jack had watched the interaction among John, Jim, and Sherry. He could see that Sherry had been hurt significantly by Ed. He remembered Ed from the funeral and had a hard time reconciling the description of him from his memory of the guy. He asked, "When do you want me to come there?" John smiled, "Why don't you and Jim work out when would be a good time for you both? I'll arrange my schedule accordingly, the Gods and Goddesses willing. In the meantime, I'm going to go to bed. I have to get up early. I'll drop you guys off at the airport, then visit the hospital and the school. The big press release is tomorrow afternoon." John picked up his clothes and left the room. He went to the bedroom that he would be sharing with Jack. He planned to sleep on the floor like always and let Jack have the bed. He moved his sleeping bag to a spot where Jack wouldn't trip over him. He promptly fell asleep. Rover lay on the floor beside him gently purring. In the living room, the four adults were talking about John. Jack asked the question that had been bothering him, "What could Ed do that would make things right between you?" Sherry answered, "Nothing." Jim heard Sherry's flat answer. He stated, "You don't really mean that." "I really don't know what he could do that would make up for his past actions. I mean, he's a proud person and would never admit that he had done something wrong." Sherry sighed. One day, Ed and his torments would be nothing more than an unpleasant memory. She couldn't wait for that day. Mrs. South was watching them talk. She stated, "You know, people can surprise you. Ed may have undergone a fundamental change. If he's been around John for an extended period of time, he has learned love." "I'll believe that when I see it." "Same here." She pressed her point, "Would the guy that you know ever consider taking a husband?" Sherry and Jim just looked at each other for a minute. Neither one of them could give a positive answer that question. Ed would have taken someone apart who did that. She added, "Don't answer me now. Just think about it." Jack asked, "Is there a legal way for the four of them to be married?" Jim shrugged, "Marriage is actually a set of financial contracts between individuals. The most basic contract is a fifty-fifty sharing of assets. Pre-nuptials agreements are more complicated. This will be a much more complicated contract, but I don't see any reason why it can't be done so that it works well for them. The tax questions are more significant." Jack replied, "I know. I'm not sure how to set up something like that. I guess I'll start by looking at the tax laws for historic communes like the Oneida and Amana." Jim suggested, "You might consider setting them up as a religious organization." Jack shook his head, "John would never go for that. He wouldn't accept using religion as a means for justifying what he wants to do. He does what his religion drives him to do." Mrs. South chimed in, "If you do something illegal or morally wrong, then John will make sure that you are arrested. His first law is that you shall protect the weak from the strong. His second law is that you shall do no harm to another. It would be best that you remember that in drafting your agreements." ------- Chapter 10 Ed returned from school. He was taking three classes this semester, working full-time, and trying to protect John. He was tired and wanted to eat before going to bed. He found the note on the table by the door. He picked it up and read it aloud, "Ed, we have gone to Maria's for dinner. Come there when you get home. Love Kelly." Ed didn't want to go there, but he knew if he was going to get anything to eat that he must show up there. He dropped his books on the desk that Shirley had bought him as a back to school present. He had been overwhelmed by her generosity and valued the desk more than anything else in the house. It wasn't a new desk, she had found it in a garage sale. It was an original teacher's desk from the 1930's and was made of solid oak. He ran his fingers over the wood appreciating the warm feel that it inspired. He went in the bathroom and looked at all of the feminine bath products cluttering every inch of the available shelf space. He sighed and washed his face hoping that it would help wake him. It helped, but not much. He went to the door and stepped out of the house. Closing the door behind him, he set off down the street to Maria's restaurant. Entering the restaurant, Ed stopped and looked around for his group. His eye lit upon Jim and Sherry sitting at a corner table. His stomach clenched at the memories of what he had done to her in the past. He swore to himself, knowing that he would not be able to enjoy his meal now. He chose to address his guilt directly and walked to their table. He stated, "Jim, I know that you have threatened to kill me if I should ever speak to your wife again. I hope that you will make an exception for me this one time." He stepped back from the table and spoke loud enough for everyone in the restaurant to hear him. "Sherry, I have treated you horribly in the past and I am sorry. I was jealous of you and the relationship that you have with Jim. I will admit that I only saw you as a fat woman with no special qualities. I wondered how someone that looked like you could find a husband as handsome and successful as Jim while I was living an empty life. I see now that you are a woman of great quality, a woman that knows what it means to love. Jim is the one that should be envied for having found you." Ed swallowed and his voice quavered, "I had thought that I was handsome and dashing. I see now that I was shallow and mean spirited. I look in the mirror and see the ugliness that was within me." He raised his voice again, "You are, and remain, a better person than I. I do not ask for your forgiveness, as what I have done is unforgivable. No one deserves to be treated the way that I have behaved towards you over the years. I am truly sorry." Jim watched as Ed turned to face him. Jim could see there were tears running down the Ed's cheeks. He hardly heard Ed say, "I thank you for the opportunity to speak my peace." Sherry broke out in tears. Never in a million years had she expected that Ed would make such a statement to her. It was unbelievable that he would make that statement in public. She wept as Ed turned and went to the table where John, Beth, and Kelly were seated. The other patrons in the restaurant were talking quietly among themselves. One might have thought the world was ending by the shock that his statement had on everyone there. John shook Ed's hand when he sat down. "Ed, that was an amazingly courageous thing you have done." Ed started shaking. He mumbled, "Would you mind getting me an order to go? I would like to return home now." Beth looked to John who shook his head. She made her suggestion anyway, "Ed, I'll come with you." Ed shook his head, "No, I need to be alone for a while." He stood up and left the restaurant. Rover followed him out. Rather than heading home, Ed went to John's house and sat in the backyard looking at the desert. Rover lay down beside him. Ed petted Rover for a minute and then started to cry. He wondered in hindsight how he could have been so mean. In time he quieted down and relaxed under the stars. John stepped around the corner with a covered plate full of taco's. It was the best food to eat cold that they served the restaurant. He had known that Ed was coming here and had told the two women to go to Ed's. He handed the plate to Ed and pulled up a chair. "Do you feel better now?" "I guess." John smiled, "Good. Now eat." Ed removed the foil off the plate and spotted the taco's. He smiled, "Some tea would go great with this." John looked surprised, "Oh, I thought you had some tea here. Let me get some for you." John went in the house and got two glasses of iced tea. He brought the pitcher out to the patio with him. He set the pitcher down and then handed one of the glasses to Ed. John smiled, "I wanted to thank you. Nobody in town is talking about John Carter's fusion battery anymore. Everyone is talking about Ed Bigger's public apology to Sherry." Ed laughed, "It wasn't my intention to take the spotlight off you. I can promise you that." John nodded, "It was a very nice thing you did. It meant so much to her. The fact that it was public made it mean even more." Ed shrugged, "All of my mean comments to her were in public, the least I could do was apologize in public. She must really hate me for the things I have done." John shrugged, "I don't know. I do know that you made the first peace offer. You would be surprised at the effect that your words may have on her." Ed slowly ate a taco. He was lost in his thoughts. He wondered how he could ever make it up to Sherry for his past treatment of her. His apology, heartfelt as it was, still seemed to be too little for the harm that he had done. John was a going to be a rich man, his future wasn't that bright. He couldn't set up a charity for her like John. All he could do from now on was treat her with respect and defend her when others did not. There was only one taco left on the plate. His appetite had been satisfied. He looked up at John, "I will stop by Jim's office in Phoenix tomorrow before class to ask him about drawing up a contract for our group marriage." John thought about telling Ed about the discussions in Austin. He decided that Ed may have a better reason to go there than just asking for his legal advice. He decided to broach the subject that had motivated them to eat out. "I became a millionaire today. Jim handled six leases on the patents for us. For twenty-five million dollars each, six corporations can use our patent with non- exclusive rights. He has close to forty other requests to handle." Ed smiled, "Congratulations." John laughed, "Well, you better tell Jim to get a move on setting up the legal structure for our group marriage. I want us to be able to share that money since I don't have anything to do with it." Ed shrugged his shoulders, "I don't need any money. I'm happy the way I am." "How about money so that you can attend school fulltime?" Ed laughed, "I have enough money to go full time. I inherited the house, the truck, and insurance money from my parents when they passed away. My only expenses have been food, drink, utilities, and clothes. I've got enough money set aside to last a couple of years." John shook his head, "So why aren't going to school fulltime?" "I think that a person should work." John laughed, "So why aren't you working at the school?" Ed looked puzzled, "What do you mean?" John stated, "You can get a student assistant job at the school. It will pay your tuition plus a little. If you feel that you have to work, why not work there. Shouldn't impact your savings too much." Ed looked shocked, "I can do that?" "Sure. You have a 4.0 GPA. You shouldn't have a problem getting a position." Ed looked thoughtful. He asked, "What kind of work could I get there?" John answered, "maybe a job classifying rocks. You'll never know until you ask." Ed laughed, "By the Gods and Goddesses, I'll do it! That would beat pushing cattle around on the back of a horse." John laughed, "You're starting to talk like me." Ed got serious, "I'll take tomorrow off and stop by Jim's office. Then I'll go into the school and find out what I need to do." John didn't want to bring it up, but he did it anyway. "So what are you going to tell Jim?" "I will ask him to do this for you rather than for me. The fact of the matter is that I've really screwed up there. She's never going to forgive me." A male voice came out of the dark around the corner. "You might be surprised, Ed." The only who wasn't surprised was Rover who had been watching the man for the past minute. Ed turned so quickly that he almost twisted his back, "Who is it?" "Jim." Ed stood up to face Jim. "Go ahead and do what you want. I won't fight you." Jim laughed, "I just wanted to thank you for what you said to Sherry. Never in a million years did either of us think that you would do what you did tonight. She was genuinely touched." Ed answered, "It was nothing compared to the damage that I've done a thousand times in the past." Jim shook his head, "I wouldn't say that. You said several important things tonight. Things that she needed to hear from someone besides me." Ed stated, "If you ever need something, let me know and I will take care of it. I owe you both too much." Jim looked uncomfortable, "Well, I had better get back. I wanted to say thank you for what you did. We will be over tomorrow night to talk about the contracts for the group marriage. Jack is flying in tomorrow afternoon." Ed looked puzzled, "Did John already ask you about the group marriage?" Jim nodded, "Yes, he did." "Oh, I was going to stop by your office to ask you about that." Jim replied, "Don't worry, We'll see you tomorrow night. I need to get back to Sherry now." Jim stepped away even as he had spoken. Ed didn't have a chance to respond with even a good bye. He turned to look at John, "What just happened?" "What do you think?" Ed, still standing, looked off into the distance. He shrugged, "I don't know. I think I'm going to go home now." John watched Ed walk off. Ed was headed for some very tough times, particularly when news of the group marriage got around. He wondered how Ed was going to handle it when people started asking him if he was a faggot. As he thought about it, he wondered how he was going to handle it. The next night came too soon. Ed had left at sunrise and returned at dusk. He walked in the house exhausted carrying a box. He took the box in his room and lay down to take a nap. He was woken two hours later by Kelly gently shaking him, "Wake up. Jack's here." Ed snapped awake. He quickly changed his shirt and grabbed the box. Stepping out of the bedroom, he saw that Jack had arrived. There was no sign of Jim or Sherry. He breathed a sigh of relief and headed into the kitchen. Everyone wondered as the sound of a blender emerged from the kitchen. He spent about five minutes in the kitchen before coming out carrying a pitcher of frozen margaritas and a martini shaker. John asked, "What's with all of that?" Ed answered, "I, uh... Well, I,... I stopped by the bar and found out what Jim and Sherry like to drink. I figure if they're coming over, we should be good hosts." Kelly stated, "I didn't know you knew how to make those drinks." "I didn't. I had Shirley teach me how this afternoon." Ed replied. "I also went out and got some snacks in case anyone gets hungry." Kelly stated, "Did you eat anything for dinner?" "Nah, I figured I'd eat some of the snacks. I got chips and salsa from Maria. She's going to bring down some guacamole later. She said, she'd also bring some mini-tacos." Jack stated, "That was very thoughtful of you." "I'd do that for any guest. Don't read any more into it than that," replied Ed. He went back into the kitchen to get the snacks. He set them out by his favorite chair. Beth and Kelly watched him carefully. They wondered if he was cracking up. John understood that Ed was attempting to undo much of the damage that he had done in the past. There was a knock on the door and John waited to see if Ed went to get it. Ed waited by the snacks. John went to the door and opened it. Jim was standing there with Sherry hiding slightly behind him. John invited them both in. Jim entered and looked around the room. He spotted the margarita pitcher and glanced back at Sherry. She followed him into the house. Ed stated, "Come in. Please come in. I have margaritas for Sherry and Martini's for Jim. I'm afraid I didn't know what Jack liked to drink." Jim stated, "Not before we are done working." Jack seconded the motion, "I'll wait until we are done here." Sherry slowly entered the room and stood next to Jim. She was looking at Ed as if he was a Martian. Ed gestured to the chair, suggesting that she sit down. He poured a drink in a glass with a salted rim and handed it to her. She took a sip of the drink and sat down. "Very good. Just like I like it." "Great," replied Ed, "I guess we should get to work now." Ed sat at the table they had set up for this discussion. Everyone else slowly made their way to the table. It took a few minutes before they actually got down to business. The solution that Jim and Jack had come up with was novel. They would own shares in the family. The value of a share would be computed as the net assets of the family divided by the number of shares outstanding. A person could enter the marriage by buying shares. A person could leave the marriage by cashing out the shares. If it were not possible to cash out a share, then assets would be sold until it could be paid. Jack went into how the taxes would be handled. He had spent three days at the IRS getting rulings on the various approaches that they could take. He had selected the one that was consistent with Jim's proposal. As he explained it, the concept made total sense. A quiet hush fell across the table as everyone looked at everyone else. Finally, Jack asked, "What do you think?" Kelly answered, "You know what, I like the idea. I didn't think I would, but I really do." Beth added, "I guess the shares would be used to settle disputes?" Jim nodded, "Yes. Not only that, it gives each person a chance to save their own money outside of the marriage. The shares make a clear demarcation as to how much is in the family. Everything else is the property of the individual person." Beth stated, "I like it." Although he was actually worried about one little detail, Ed nodded, "It's fair." John stated, "I don't think it is fair at all." Everyone turned to look at him. Ed stated, "Why?" John answered, "With my money I can control everything. I don't think that is fair at all." Jim smiled, "I'm going to suggest something to you, because we did consider that. I'm going to suggest that everyone contribute an initial amount of money that they feel comfortable with for an even number of shares. No person is allowed at any time to buy more than twice the number of shares of anyone else over a given period of time." John nodded, "That does sound fair." Jack added, "Since you are requesting me to set up the books for this family, you may consider allowing me to establish the price of a share. We also considered that a person may contribute a gift to the family that adds value to the stock, but does not produce any more shares." Jim stated, "I don't think you should decide tonight. I think you should wait a couple of days. I'll be available to answer any private questions that you may have. There are a lot of subtle points about this, that you will want to think about." John stated, "Sounds good to me." His comment was soundly endorsed by Ed, Beth, and Kelly. Jim smiled, "I think that ends the business portion of this evening. I'll take that drink now." Jack stated, "I'll take a Margarita." Ed nodded, "Okay. Let me make a new batch of Martinis. Give me just a second." Ed went into the kitchen while everyone else arranged chairs in the living room. Sherry was seated, still working on her first Margarita. She stated, "While you guys were talking, Maria came and delivered some mini-taco's and guacamole dip." Kelly smiled, "Oh, that's great. Ed ordered them earlier." Ed came in with a tray of drinks. He had brought the drinks for Jim and Jack. He had tea for John and himself. He handed them out and refreshed Sherry's drink. He then asked, "Kelly and Beth, what would you like to drink?" The women looked at each other and then stated, "I think we would like Margaritas for a change." Ed smiled. He picked up the pitcher and headed to the kitchen. He made another batch and brought it out. He poured them their drinks and handed them out. He settled into a chair and took a sip of his tea. Sherry watched Ed scurry about the house acting like the host. She was rather confused. She wondered if this change in Ed was temporary or permanent. She decided to test the waters. "Ed, are you having sex with John?" The room got very quiet and every eye turned to Ed. Ed nodded, "Yes, I am." Sherry asked, "Does this mean you are now a faggot?" A collective gasp went up around the room. All eyes turned to Ed expecting him to explode. Ed answered, "Well, I will soon have a husband and two wives. So I guess that makes me one third faggot and two thirds a Romeo." Sherry frowned and asked, "Are you okay with that?" Ed laughed, "To tell the truth, I prefer to consider myself one hundred percent lucky to have found three people that love me!" She smiled, "I like that. You are lucky." Kelly turned to Sherry and asked, "Why did you ask that question in such a nasty way?" Sherry considered her answer very carefully. She stated, "I have lived most of my life terrified of Ed. Last night he exposed more vulnerability to me than I have ever exposed to him. I had to know if he had really changed or if he would lash out at me the first time I touched upon that vulnerability." Beth frowned, "Did he pass your test?" Sherry answered, "Yes, he did. I asked that question fully expecting to get hit. Instead, he was honest about something that most cowards would have denied or gotten angry. I'm convinced that we could become friends now." Ed smiled, "I would be proud to have you as a friend. I want you to know that you can call upon me at anytime and I'll be there for you." Sherry didn't answer. She was amazed at the changes that Ed had undergone in the past year. The changes started after he had met John. She examined John. He had an aura around him that suggested supreme confidence and the satisfaction of a man that is at peace with himself. She could see that same aura starting to bloom around Ed. John had said that Ed had been at the arrest of the serial killer. Maybe facing a real danger had helped his conversion. Then she remembered that he had served in the military and that he had received a couple of medals for bravery or something like that. Ed suddenly stated, "You know, they say that if you get asked the same question three times then you should come up with a prepared answer. Well, I asked that question to myself. Now, you've asked the question. The third time will be coming soon. I guess I'm going to have to work out a good answer to it." John suggested, "you already have a good answer. You are the luckiest person alive to have found three people that love you. You could mention that others consider themselves lucky if they can find a spouse that barely tolerates them after a couple years of marriage." Jack stated, "That's kind of a harsh answer." Jim replied, "Maybe, but the good thing is that it is a true answer." Ed snacked on the min-tacos as he listened to the conversation. He drank his tea and munched on chips dipped in the guacamole. He knew that he was a very lucky man. He stated, "You know, I'm much more confident of myself now than I was a year ago. Yeah, I've sucked cock, but somehow I feel that I'm more of a man today than I did then. Strange isn't it?" Sherry replied, "Not at all. Going outside your boundaries can make you much stronger and more confident of yourself. You find out that you are capable of much more than you ever thought possible. That gives you a certain confidence when it comes to dealing with the more mundane aspects of life." Kelly's eyes lit up. She winked at Sherry, "Let's push some boundaries right now. We have enough people here to qualify as an orgy." Jim smiled, "As tempting as it sounds, I'm afraid that we are not ready to push that boundary yet. Perhaps after we've gotten to know each other better." A similar scene occurred several days later when everyone purchased their shares of the group marriage family. Everyone contributed twenty thousand each, including John. In the discussions after the initial meeting, Beth had stated that was how much she was going to contribute. Independent of each other, Ed and Kelly had decided that they would make the same contribution. John listened to the discussions and decided that he would make the same. Of them all, Kelly had the most difficult time coming up with that kind of money. She didn't tell anyone, but she had to take a loan to come up with the cash. She had determined that she would get rid of her apartment and move in with Ed until they bought a house together. She could make the loan payment while still contributing to the family. Ed had wiped out almost all of his savings, but he still had the house and a job. It was going to be tight because his new job at the university paid much less than he was making as a cowboy. John was well aware of what a financial burden was being placed on the others. He knew that Kelly wouldn't be able to save any money for quite some time if she contributed to the general fund every month. Although Kelly had gone into debt, she made enough to repay the debt and contribute. Ed was going to have it tough as well. Ed had wiped out his savings and he now made minimum wage with college expenses thrown in on top of that. John decided the fairest thing he could do was to contribute two million dollars as a gift to the family. There was a logic behind his decision; one that the others could understand. In terms of sacrifice, the twenty thousand dollars was nothing compared to his newfound wealth. The gift made his sacrifice a little more equitable and yet did not give him excessive power within the family. It would also give everyone a chance to replenish their savings, as they wouldn't have to contribute any money for several years. Once the money's had been deposited, they authorized Jack to write checks to himself and Jim for their consultation fees. It was then time for them to finalize decisions about living arrangements, food, automobiles, and the purchase of a new house. It was decided that for the moment, they would share Ed and John's houses. Kelly and Beth smiled at John when that decision was made. Finally, they had the chance to fill his house with furniture. ------- Chapter 11 Midwinter's day was rapidly approaching. John had been working in the FBI office in Phoenix every day. He was investigating a pattern of abductions that looked suspicious to him. He was pushing himself as hard as he could to identify what was going on. The urge to solve this case was pushing him to work day and night. He stared at the bank records of a number of individuals that had been arrested for abducting young kids and women. They all had significant deposits about every three months before they had been caught. Yet none of them had jobs that could explain it. He pulled a few of the records together and then realized that those deposits had occurred within a week of unsolved disappearances. In an epiphany, he realized that they were dealing with a while slavery ring that was operating all over California. He rapidly began gathering the data that supported his idea. He traced the locations where people had been abducted or reported missing under unusual circumstances. They formed about twenty clusters in different parts of California. After each arrest, the number of missing people in a cluster dropped. Significantly, the individual lived within that specific cluster. After some time had elapsed, another cluster would appear elsewhere in the state. He then identified where all of the arrests had been made. It looked like three arrows all pointing to a desert region below Las Vegas. He jotted down a list of individuals that were serving time in prison. Under each individual's name, he jotted down the list of people that he suspected they had abducted. He got up and walked over to the office of Ann Moore. He entered without knocking and sat down in a chair. She studiously ignored him. He set the list of names on her desk and stated, "There is a white slavery ring operating in California." She looked up startled, "What?" "I said there is a white slavery ring operating in California. They are abducting young women and children. They are being taken somewhere in Nevada south of Las Vegas." As the implications of what John was saying sank in, Ann started mentally reviewing any warnings that might have been issued. There were none. She asked, "Are you sure?" John nodded, "Very sure." Ann challenged, "Prove it to me." John took her to his office and presented his data. She stared at the relationships that he had found among the missing individuals and the people in custody. His argument was airtight. She asked, "What do you suggest we do?" John smiled, "Send agents to interview the people on this list. Confront them with the names of the other individuals that were abducted within their specific cluster. Convince them that we will be prosecuting them unless they give us the location where their victims were taken. Stake out that location and when a car arrives with another victim, arrest everyone. Roll them all up at once." Ann nodded, "It will take a couple of weeks to set things up." John shook his head, "I'm sorry, but we don't have a couple of weeks. There are going to be a rash of abductions starting in about four days. We need to be in place by then or else I believe that at least eighteen people are going to be victims. I don't know if we'll be able to find the past victims, but we can save the current bunch." Ann stated, "it is going to be tough. It's going to take that amount of time to line up all the agents we'll need." John was blunt, "Bullshit. If it were a nuclear weapon, we would be there in five hours." Ann stared at John realizing that he was correct. She picked up the phone and dialed a number. She asked for the director and when she was told that he wouldn't be able to take her call, she became more insistent. She used John Carter's name in an effort to speed things along. Finally, she stated, "Tell him it is a broken arrow type of situation." Those magic words opened doors. She put the call on speakerphone. Within seconds, Mike was on the telephone shouting, "Did you say broken arrow?" "I said it was a broken arrow type of situation, sir." "What do you mean?" "I mean that as a result of John Carter's research over the past three weeks, we have a huge case that is time critical. A white slavery ring is about to take another eighteen people in the next four days. I need FBI agents in California, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and, of course, here in Arizona. I want a conference call with deputy directors in all of those areas in an hour." Mike paused, "Are you sure?" John stated, "Mike, have I ever been wrong?" "No you haven't." John added, "As far as I can tell, over the past five years this ring has been responsible for at least three hundred missing persons. As far as I know, they are probably being sold for child pornography, lock box prostitution, or snuff films. In my opinion, this is the ugliest crime there is. I haven't even looked at the East Coast yet. It may be national in scope, I just don't know yet." Mike was silent for a moment as he thought about it. He stated, "I agree. I'll set things in motion." All of the agents assigned to the Phoenix Office were called into the conference room. The room was filled to capacity. John entered the room followed by Ann and Rover. Many of the agents had never seen Rover, although the cat was already a legend in the office. As soon as he reached the front of the room, John stated, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I know that the holidays are rapidly approaching. Everyone has shopping to do and family gatherings to attend. However, for the next five days everyone will be on duty twenty-four hours a day." After the grumbling quieted down, John continued, "We have identified a white slavery ring that is operating on the west coast. Within the next four days, we expect that at least eighteen people will be abducted. Although little Timmy may not get his dream bike, I want to make sure he gets to spend Christmas with his family rather than as a sex slave to some pedophile. And maybe, just maybe, we might be able to rescue three hundred others that have been abducted in the past." The noise level in the room rose as people considered what John had said. They all looked at each other. This kind of case makes the national news in a big way. John waited patiently for the noise to abate, "go call your families and let them know you won't be home for the next couple of days." The next hour was a flurry of activity as agents got busy faxing John's data and conclusions to the various offices that were going to participate in the conference call. John estimated that they were going to have over two hundred agents involved in this arrest. Other agents were arranging for cots to be brought into the office and for catering services to providing meals. The conference call went like a dream. Other offices had already had a chance to look at John's data. Everyone had to agree with his conclusions and recognized the need for a fast response. All courtesy procedures were suspended for the duration. Rather than interviewing people one at a time by a single pair of agents, all of the interviews were going to occur at the same time by fifty pairs of agents. Instead of business hours, they were going to wake people if necessary to get the interviews. They would wake judges if necessary to get warrants. John watched as the agents left the conference room to attend to their individual tasks. He could imagine the same scene playing out in twenty-three other offices. John returned to his office and sat there starring at Rover. He asked, "Rover, would you be willing to go back to the house with Ed and stay there a couple of days without me?" The cat sat there and didn't move or react in any way. John added, "You wouldn't like to stay in this office for three days straight, would you?" Rover, as if in answer to the question, got up and walked to the corner of the room where he lay down. In seconds, he was asleep. John stated, "Okay, stay with me. I'll call Ed and have him arrange for food and a cat box. Maybe we won't be stuck here too long." John called Ed at the school. When Ed answered, "Hello?" "Hi there, hubby to be!" "Hey John, how are you doing?" John considered his answer, "Well, it looks like I'm stuck here at the FBI for a couple of days. Can you pick up some burger for the cat and a cat box?" Ed frowned, "What's up?" John stated, "We have a big case with a four day deadline. I have to be here to help correlate data. I need to be ready to leave at a moments notice. Maybe you can get my backpack from the house when you come into school in the morning." Ed stated, "I'll be there in an hour with the food and cat box. Be ready to tell me the details when I get there." John answered, "Okay." Ed hung up. John was left with Rover in the office. He could hear the activity outside his office, yet no one disturbed him. He felt bad about having all of the agents locked up for the next few days. A knock on the door to his office interrupted his musings. He stated, "Come in." One of the newer agents came into the room struggling with a cot. He stated, "Here's your cot sir." John looked at the cot and then at the agent for a minute. He asked, "Did they put you in charge of sleeping arrangements?" "Yes, sir." John reached into his wallet and pulled out a platinum card. He handed it to the agent. "Go to the nearest hotel and request a block of rooms equal to the number of agents here. Take this and have them charge it to my card. When you get the keys to the rooms hand them out to the agents. Maybe their families can join them there." The agent stepped back in surprise, "You can't be serious. That'll cost a fortune and our budget can't handle it." John stated, "I'm a very rich man. My budget can afford it. Happy holidays." "That is most generous of you sir." John was about to reply and then added. "Do the same for the other offices involved in this. Contact the hotels and arrange the rooms. Use the card. If they need verification, then I'll talk to them. Ask the hotel to deliver the keys to the offices and then let the receptionist hand them out to the agents." "How many days should I request the rooms?" "Make it five. At least that way the families can make plans." The young agent stared at John. He cleared his throat, "You do realize that there may be three hundred agents involved. You're paying for fifteen hundred nights of hotel rooms." John nodded, "Yes. So long as the bill is less than half a million, do it." "Half a million?" "Yeah. You might authorize each room for fifty dollars worth of extra charges a night." The agent looked at the card in his hand. He looked at John, "Yes, sir. I'll get right to work on it." When the agent had left the room, John sat back feeling a little better. Maybe he hadn't ruined so many holidays. He called Jack and let him know what he had done in case the credit card company called. Jack squawked when he heard the amount he was authorizing, but he didn't say anything else. He knew John very well, at least well enough to know that there was no way to get him to change his mind. Ann came into the office. She sat down, "What do you think needs to be done now?" John smiled, "I don't know. You're in charge of this case." "Me. It's your case." "Okay, I just turned it over to you. You're doing quite a good job so far. I'm just here to help out." Ann snorted, "You are impossible. Do you know the headaches you're giving to me?" John laughed, "Yes. You'll have to deal with the press, the other enforcement offices, and transportation services. I don't envy you at all." Ann smiled as an idea crossed her mind. She stated, "I want you on site when the arrests are made." John frowned. He looked at his calendar. Midwinter was in six days. He needed to be in Colorado in case someone was picked by the Gods to take over Jed's duties. If they were able to bring down the ring in four days, he might make it. If it took longer, he would be late. Of course, he did have some time leeway. People always lost time when they were there. He answered her, "I absolutely have to be in Colorado on the twenty-first. Of course, you might not have thought about some logistical problems. The airlines won't take Rover onboard unless he's in a cage, so I'll have to drive." Ann smiled, "That will be handled. We do own some planes of our own." John shrugged, "Mind if I take some people with me?" "Who?" John smiled, "Oh, a doctor and a nurse to care for the victims. Another guy who will help take care of them. I know they'll volunteer their time." Ann frowned, "You're talking about your future husband and wives?" "Yes." "You do realize that some agents may have a problem with that when they learn about it." "I'm not worried. They're going to be too busy to cause any problems." Ann shrugged her shoulders. "It's your life. Live it how you wish." "Thanks," replied John. He added, "You might want to see if you can get me some detailed maps of the area. I might be able to identify some likely spots and locate staging areas for launching the raid." Ann nodded. John had changed the subject to work and that was the end of any discussion of his personal life. She stood and left the room. He received several maps half an hour later. He spread them out on a table and examined them carefully. He was looking for a place that was more or less isolated with a private landing field. Several places fit that profile. John's next interruption was the arrival of Ed. He looked up happy to see him, "Thanks for coming here." Ed shrugged his shoulders, denying that he had done anything special. He answered, "I put the hamburger in the refrigerator and set up the sand box next to the dumpster." Rover lifted his head and looked at Ed. He stood up and left the room. Ed watched him leave. "What's the matter with Rover?" "I'm not sure," replied John. He followed the cat out of the room. He finally located the cat at the elevator door. The receptionist was standing next to him. She stated, "He wanted to go down, so I pressed the down button. When the elevator comes, I'll press ground floor. I think he wants to go out." John went over and scratched Rover behind the ears. He asked, "Do you need me to come along?" Rover shook his head. John stated, "Okay, big guy. You're on your own." John went back into the office. He stated, "It looks as if he wanted to use the cat box you brought." Ed shook his head, "That's a smart cat." John couldn't help but agreeing. "Yes he is." "So what is the big deal. Why have you got to be here?" John considered his answer carefully. "A white slavery ring is operating in California. I've established that they are going to abduct about eighteen people in the next four days." "You mean kidnap like that sick fuck did with those two young ladies in Utah?" "Yes, I do." Ed looked in the distance remembering that time. He had to help, but he had finals coming up and John wouldn't take him. "You're going to take them down, aren't you?" "Yes, I am." Ed looked at John with his eyes half closed. He knew what John was going to answer to his next question. "Who is going to watch your back?" "Rover." "John, you can't count on Rover to tell people what they need to do." Rover returned even as they were speaking. He went back to his corner and went to sleep. John smiled, "Ed, you have finals this week. I'm not going to pull you out of school for this. Rover can keep me from getting killed." Ed snorted and left the office in a huff. John watched him go and knew that he was going to come along with him anyway. Tomorrow afternoon, he would return with Kelly and Beth. They would stay for the duration. John was asleep on the floor next to Rover. Rover lay on his back with his feet up in the air. Ann looked in the office at the sleeping pair. She shook her head and debated waking him. He had rented rooms for all of the agents and yet he slept on the floor in his office. He startled her, "What can I do for you Ann?" "For one, you could use one of those hotel rooms you rented for the agents here." "It would be a waste. I always sleep on the floor." John sat up and looked at the clock. He stated, "I'm expecting a call. I need to be here to get it." "For another, I've got a telephone message for you." John got up frowning, "Why didn't you patch it through here?" "You were asleep." "Okay, what was the message?" Ann sat down and looked at her nails. She was tired of him just walking into her office without knocking. She was tired of his audacity at telling her to drop everything and doing what he wanted right then. It was time for a little payback. She smiled up at him, "What is the magic word?" John looked at her blankly. Puzzled he asked, "Pardon?" "I asked you for the magic word." John had been around too many science types. When a scientist is working on a problem all conversation becomes very direct. The questions become short and to the point. You answer and then they go on. He muttered, "I don't understand. I thought we were trying to solve a problem here. You're wanting to play games?" Ann swore in a very loud voice, "Damn, you are an idiot sometimes. I'm saying you should use the word please when you ask for something. Haven't you ever heard of manners?" John replied, "At the university, when you're working on a problem you tend to drop manners. Conversations become a little blunt and straight to the point. You need a piece of information and you ask for it. You only bother the people that have the information that you need. The fact that you came to ask them is a kind of honor, as you're recognizing their expertise. Things don't work that way here?" Ann shook her head, "Do you mean that when you come barging into my office without knocking that you are actually being respectful?" John nodded, "Yes. I wouldn't do it if your office door was closed since that would mean you didn't want to be interrupted." Ann made a noise that was a lot like a growl. She gave up. "John, you are a different kind of person. Anyway, the message was that three prisoners all identified site number two as the drop off location. They verified all of your suspicions." John sat back and tired to remember all that he could about site number two. It was the most difficult of all the locations to approach without being seen. He turned to Ann, "Can we get a plane to fly over the site and get photographs?" There was a slight pause and then he added, "please." "That's a great idea. I'll get to work on it immediately. Anything else?" John thought about it for several minutes. He stated, "We need to set up some staging areas. I guess we should start moving agents into the area. It will have to be done slowly, we don't want to spook them. Small towns are rumor mills and a bunch of strangers showing up will create a lot of excitement." Ann looked surprised, "You're right. I hadn't thought of that." The plane landed at a small landing strip outside Las Vegas. John, Ed, Kelly, Beth, and Rover got off the plane. Once Rover touched the ground, he turned and growled at the plane. John stayed behind and explained to the pilot that he had no idea that Rover would get airsick. The pilot motioned a cleaning crew over to the plane with a disgusted look on his face. A RV was waiting for them at the airport. It had been confiscated in a drug operation several months earlier. It was large enough for four adults and had Ohio tags on it. The group got into the RV and headed off to the desert. They drove until they reached the town north of the site. Ed slowed on reaching the town and pulled into a small restaurant. He parked the RV while John went into the back of the camper to lie down. Rover joined him on the bed. Ed, Beth, and Kelly exited the RV and entered the restaurant with Ed leading the way. Inside, Ed asked around to identify someone that might allow them to look for rocks. There weren't any takers until Ed stated that they were willing to pay. The waitress finally suggested that they drive down the road and talk to Alfred with the warning that they were never to call him Al. After eating, they went back to the RV and followed the driving directions they had been given. It wasn't long before they reached the place. It was perfect, only about seven miles from the targeted site. John exited the RV and went to the door. For some reason, Rover stayed in the RV. He knocked on it with the hand that wasn't holding the walking stick. It took a minute before an old man opened the door. John asked, "Are you Alfred Ledbetter?" "Who the hell are you and what are you doing on my property?" As he flipped his badge open, John smiled, "I'm John Carter, special agent for the FBI." The old man looked at John in the eye for a full minute, measuring John to see if he was worthy. John looked back at him directly in the eye. Albert decided John was worthy and nodded, "You here about them thugs down the way?" "Yes. If you are talking about the folks at the Crazy Z." "It's about time." John asked, "What do you mean?" Albert stated, "Well, them guys down there are just mean. I don't know what they're up to, but I do know that it ain't good." John nodded. That was exactly the kind of report that he would have expected from one of the law-abiding citizens in the area. He told the man, "I've got to get about a hundred FBI agents into the area without raising any suspicions. I want to arrange a night landing of an airplane out in the field." Albert shook his head, "Won't work." "Why not?" "The noise out here carries for miles. I can hear the planes landing and taking off at the Crazy Z from here. There is a better way, though." John looked at Albert in surprise. He asked, "How?" "Through my back door. Hell, there's a gate along the highway on the other side of the mountain. Have your people come in there at night. If their drivers have them night vision things, they'll be able to follow the road right up to the house. Only about a six hour drive." John laughed, "Thanks a million. I'll call it in." Albert asked, "So how did you find out about me?" John stated, "Well, we stopped in town and asked who might let us look for rocks on their place if we paid them. The waitress in town suggested you." Albert shook his head, "Damned kid of mine. She does that kind of shit to me all the time. Thinks I need money. Well, I better call her up and tell her that I'm letting y'all look for rocks free of charge. That'll really piss her off and help your cover. I do that to her all the time. Anything else would be suspicious." John laughed as he thanked Albert and returned to the RV. He set up the satellite telephone and made a call back to Phoenix. He told them about gate at the back of the property. He stated it was near mile marker 111. They revised their plans on how to get the agents in place. He and Ed would set up the camouflage netting to hide the vehicles once the sun set. Until then, it was time for a nap. The action would happen the day after tomorrow. ------- Chapter 12 It was sunrise and John lay beside a large rock. He was hidden under his cloak and blended into the background perfectly. The desert this morning was glorious and cool. Winter in Nevada wasn't as bad as winter in the north. As he watched the sunrise, he performed his morning ritual of offering two drops of blood, one to the Gods and the other to the Goddesses. Somehow, he felt reassured by that one simple act. John was twenty yards from the house. This was where he expected everything to happen. He looked at his watch and wondered how long he would have to stay here. It wasn't hard to stay in one place for an extended period, but it was murder trying to do it without moving. From the spot where he was hiding, he could see the front door, the road, and the landing strip behind the house. The windows were covered so that he couldn't see into the house. As the first light of morning struck the house, John could see more details. There were spy holes of the kind that are normally in the door of house scattered on the walls of the whole house. There were a number of slots cut into the walls and covered by boards. He could tell they were there so that whoever was in the house could shoot out without exposing themselves. He whispered into the microphone that the FBI had given him to report what he had seen. The soft answer in his earphone confirmed that his message was received. As he lay there, he suddenly realized that he had a problem. If these guys were as paranoid as they seemed, then they would probably station a man at exactly the location that he was hiding. There was a smaller pile of rocks ten feet behind him. Taking a chance, he inched his way to them. Rover got up and ran a good distance from John. John smiled as he realized that between a moving rock and a cougar, that if anyone were watching they would notice the cougar first. He nestled down into the rocks, blending in as he did. Rover disappeared into the rocks further away from the house. John settled in for the duration. He held his breath when two men came out and looked around the property with binoculars. He reported the actions back to the command center at Albert's place. The men went back in the house. Several times during the morning, the men came out and checked the surroundings. It was always the same two men. Albert said that there were usually five guys at the place. Shortly before noon, the same two guys came out and got into the pick up truck parked at the end of the driveway. They drove around the property stopping occasionally to look at the surrounding area. They returned after thirty minutes. It seemed to John like they were expecting their first delivery soon and were making a last check of their surroundings. The way the men acted suggested they had not spotted anything unusual. John reported his findings and suggested that everyone get ready to move in. Fifteen minutes later, two different men walked out of the house. One went to the rocks where John had hidden earlier. The other went to a small shed on the other side of the house. John whispered the locations of the men to the command post. He stated that he would take out the man in the rocks. He continued to wait for a car to show up. He examined the man in the rocks in front of him. The guy had a fully automatic rifle. These guys were serious about their business. He tensed when the guy switched off the safety on the gun and got into position to cover the driveway. John looked towards the road and saw a car stop, move forward a hundred yards, and then stop again. It waited a few minutes and then pulled to the entrance of the driveway. It stopped there and waited. John was getting anxious at the delay. The car sat there for five minutes. Finally, the front door opened and a man stepped out. He waved his arms. The car started up again and drove down the driveway. It stopped right in front of the rocks occupied by the man with the gun. The guy kept the gun pointed at the driver. The driver got out and waited for the man at the door. John had to wait to see if there was an abduction victim in the car before calling in the cavalry. It seemed as if everything moved in slow motion. The guy from the porch slowly advanced towards the car. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He glanced at it and then stated, "Fourteen years old. Blond hair. Green eyes. Slender build. Is that what you got?" "Yes, Mr. Jones. She's a prime, grade A, virgin. Hell, I wanted to do her myself, but I know I'll get more for a virgin." "Good. Let's see her." The driver of the car opened the back door and pulled out a young girl that fit the description. Her hands were tied behind her back. Her feet were bound so that she could stand, but she was too weak or scared to stand by herself. There was a gag in her mouth. John whispered, "Go!" John waited five seconds and then leapt up moving towards the man in front of him. He swung his walking stick catching the guy in the back. He jumped on the guy and wrestled with him trying to put the handcuffs on his wrists. Shots rang out and ricocheted off the rocks. John finally got his guy under control. He looked up in time to see two dozen jeeps rushing into the area. The guy in the small shed was shooting continuously at the advancing jeeps. The man by the car shot the driver, grabbed the girl, and ran into the house. John started reporting what he saw happening. Now shots were coming from the slots along the front and sides of the house. John watched a disaster unfold in front of him as the jeeps were racked with automatic weapons fire. He ran to the wall of the house. He felt a sting in his side and crashed into the house with more force than he had intended. There was one of those flimsy wood covers right next to him. He ripped it off. He removed a tear- gas canister from a pocket inside his cloak, set it off and dropped it into the open slot. There was a lot of swearing inside the house. John peeked around the corner of the house. Two agents had rushed to the small building to capture the gunman inside. They kicked the door open. Rover appeared from nowhere and ran into the shed before the agents even had a chance to move. There were screams and shots were fired. John ducked out of the way. He looked around the corner and saw the agents at the door of the shed looking towards the house. Rover raced out of the shed towards John. John waved to them and slowly moved towards the porch. A gun barrel was sticking out in front of him. He searched around to see what he could find. He spotted a stick and picked it up staying out of sight as much as possible. He waited for the gun to stop firing. The barrel disappeared as the man inside reloaded and then reappeared. John quickly stuck the stick in the barrel and stumbled towards the corner of the building. He knew when the man pulled the trigger by the explosion. John felt weak and sat down. He reported what he had done and then just sat there. His side was bleeding. He removed his cloak and shirt. He wadded up the shirt and pushed it into the hole in his side. He took a deep breath at the pain produced by the pressure. It suddenly got very quiet. John didn't move, he was starting to get blurry eyed. He looked up to see three helicopters land near the house. He shut his eyes for a minute and the next thing he knew Ed was by his side, holding the shirt tight against the wound. Rover was sitting next to him. When John lost consciousness, Beth arrived and immediately began working on his wound. She was a good trauma surgeon, but operating on the bare ground with only the contents of her medical bag were beyond her skill. She patched him up and stopped the bleeding. Kelly helped her. Ed went into the house with the agents and took control of the kidnap victims that were stored in an underground room. There were twelve people in there and they were in horrible shape. Ed went outside and checked on John. He asked if Kelly could come with him to take care of the hostages. Beth nodded as she finished doing what she could for John. Two of the men from the helicopter showed up with a stretcher. They loaded John on the stretcher and carried him to the helicopter. Beth's loyalties were divided. On one hand, John was her fiancé. On the other hand, there were wounded people in the area needing her attention. She knew the decision that John would make. She watched them load John on a helicopter and went looking for someone else to help. To her surprise, Rover stayed with her. Kelly returned to help her with the other patients. It took two hours for all of the chaos to come to order. Beth had worked diligently to patch up the agents that had been wounded. The guy whose gun had blown up on him and the driver of the car were the only fatalities. Their deaths had convinced the others that they had no chance of coming out alive. John had been responsible for the capture of all but one of the criminals, although the credit for the last one should have gone to Rover. Beth and Kelly sat on the porch resting and drinking bottled water. Rover was drinking some water out of a bowl they had found inside the house. They were exhausted physically and emotionally. Beth turned to Kelly, "I did the best I could for him." Kelly nodded, "I know." "I wanted to go to the hospital with him, but I couldn't help but think that he would have disapproved of that." Beth looked around with tears in her eyes. Kelly stated, "I couldn't believe what Rover did to the guy that shot John." Beth laughed, "I know. I tried to stitch him together. I ran out of sutures. That guy is never going to be able to look in a mirror again." "It's amazing, but Rover didn't open any veins or arteries. He must have scratched that guy fifty times." "His worst injury was from shooting himself in the foot." Ed came out of the house and joined the women. "They are all fine in there now. The agents are going to take them back to Vegas in a few minutes. They'll stop by the hospital to check them out and then take them to a hotel to wait for their loved ones." Kelly's eyes misted, "There are young boys and girls, some as young as nine. There are even two women in their twenties." Ed shook his head, "The stupid fucks had everything written down. Who they got, who ordered them, where they shipped them, and how much money they got. They had a list of orders in their filing cabinets. They had taken over seven hundred people of all ages. John had looked at California. These guys had people from all over the west. They had orders for fifty more." Beth sighed, "I can understand why John went after them so tenaciously. These guys are just evil." Ed nodded, "Yeah, they expect to arrest another twenty or thirty people in the next twenty-four hours." Kelly asked, "So what do we do now?" Ed smiled, "We are riding into Vegas with the kids. They want us to separate and keep the younger ones company." Beth smiled, "So we'll be able to see John?" "Yep." Kelly looked towards the house, "Let's get them out of there. They must be feeling very uncomfortable in there." Ed went into the house and led the victims out in a disorderly mob. The older ones joined Beth and Kelly on the porch. The kids played in the yard. Rover joined them in an informal game of tag. It seemed that Rover was the favorite subject of getting touched. The adults on the porch laughed at the game. Ed turned to Beth. He asked, "Could you take a look at my leg? It's bothering me a bit." Beth turned and looked at his jeans. There was blood there, but she assumed that it was from John. He told him to drop his pants so that she could get a closer look. Ed obeyed her. Beth swore at the hole she saw in his calf. She muttered, "Congratulations, you got shot." Ed shrugged, "Patch it up." Beth snarled, "No, I'm going to leave a gapping hole in your leg just to remind you to stay in the back with us. I was going to kill you myself when you went charging off with the FBI agents in that jeep. You didn't think that you might be making widows of us, did you?" Ed retorted, "John needed me. He doesn't think of himself at all. Someone needs to take care of him." Beth checked the wound more carefully. It was a flesh wound. She poured some antiseptic on it and then wrapped it in a bandage. She looked up, "I know. I'm just mad at myself that I didn't have the nerve to charge in there like you did." Another helicopter landed on the runway. Several agents got out of the car and came over to the house. The female agent walked over to the adults on the porch. Ed recognized her, "Hello, Ann." "Hi Ed. You two must be Beth and Kelly." The women nodded. Beth answered, "I'm Beth and that lovely creature next to me is Kelly. Ed, you can put your pants on. No need to excite all the women here." Ann laughed, "Don't worry about me. I just wanted to give you some news about John. It appears that he's healing at a phenomenal rate, even for John. He's going to make it to Colorado for Midwinter's day." Beth looked confused, "That's in two days. It will take him almost all day to drive there." Ann nodded, "The report that I got was that he died during the operation, but his heart spontaneously restarted. To say that the surgeons were amazed would be an understatement. As soon as they finished applying the anesthetic he woke up, talked to the doctors for a minute and then went into some sort of trance. They could almost watch him heal. He's come out of the trance once to request very specific foods, which he ate very quickly and returned to his trance." Beth looked puzzled, "What kind of foods?" "He asked for fresh liver served raw, boiled spinach, fresh peaches, and ice cream. I would have thrown up if I was forced to eat that." Beth shook her head, "No, that's actually a very good combination of foods from a nutritional perspective. He gets a good dose of amino acids, protein, iron, simple sugars, and calcium. Almost a perfect diet for someone healing." Ed said, "I won't marry you guys if you make me eat that mess!" Kelly laughed, "Don't worry, we won't. We are going to feed you calves brains raw. Maybe next time you won't charge into danger like that." Ed turned to Ann, "I'm looking for a wife that will treat me well when I'm injured. Are you interested?" Ann laughed, "Not on your life. You're too much like John." Beth whispered in Ed's ear, "Beside, we know that such injuries are often accompanied by swelling of the middle leg. We are trained in how to relieve that swelling in the most pleasurable way possible." Ed laughed, "Sorry Ann. She just reminded me that they were specifically trained in how to relieve swelling of other appendages in a most pleasurable fashion. I guess I'll have to keep them and feed myself for the next couple of weeks. I hope that you don't mind." Ann replied, "Don't worry, like I said you are too much like John. That man drives me crazy." Beth laughed, "Oh, you've only known him in work mode. He is so focused on his work that you would think he was a surgeon. All manners go out the window." Kelly nodded, "We are all like that. Ed wasn't like that until he started working at the school. Work mode is very efficient. We will have to take you out to dinner sometime so that you can get to know the other side of John." Ann wasn't sure that she wanted to know John socially. She had already seen him without his clothes and just the memory of it was enough to turn her on. She had no idea how she would react if she discovered that he was charming and polite. She stated politely, "Maybe that wouldn't be a good idea." One of the women that had been abducted had watched the exchange. She asked, "Who is John?" Ann stated, "John is the one that discovered the white slavery ring. He set up the raid to rescue you. He led the charge and took out the majority of the gang." The two women looked at each other. They, more so than the kids, understood the fate that John had saved them from experiencing. They would be left with their imaginations, but their imaginations would not hurt them in the same way as reality would. The other woman stated, "We owe him our lives. Is there anything we can do to thank him?" Ed smiled, Beth and Kelly shot him a dirty look as they imagined what his answer would be. His actual answer surprised them. He stated, "You can send him a thank you note. He likes that a lot." Ann interrupted, "The press is going to be here in about ten minutes. I think that you three might consider what you are going to tell them." Ed looked around at the other two and stated, "We would rather not be interviewed, if that is all right with you." One of the rescued women stated, "You guys are heroes. You deserve to get credit for what you've done. Ed, you were the first one in the room. You untied me. Kelly took care of all of us. Beth treated all of the wounds." Ed nodded, "We know what we did and that is enough for us. We don't need others to know." Ann stated, "It would be best if you do it now. Otherwise, they will track you down and try to interview you where ever they find you." Ed stated, "If you say so." The kids were rounded up and led into the house. The jeeps were pulled around to the back so that when it was time for them to leave, they could do so discretely. Their identities were to remain secret. Rover went into the house with them. He lay down on his stomach and the kids took turn petting him. He was large enough that two kids at a time were able to pet him at the same time. Rover had single-handedly turned a frightened bunch of victims back into normal kids. The press arrived in a major swarm. Helicopters circled over the ranch. The reporters on the ground were allowed to set up in an area a short distance from the front of the house. It would give the televisions a good background for their reporters. It was soon time for the three of them to make their statements. They all told of the professionalism demonstrated by the FBI in taking down this dangerous gang. Ed had introduced himself as a bodyguard for the two medical consultants. Each downplayed their role in the afternoon's activities. They returned to the house and prepared to leave. Rover insisted on going in the first van with the youngest kids by head butting Beth out of the way. Beth gestured, "Be my guest." There were two kids and an adult in each van except the first. The caravan pulled out. It was a long drive back to Las Vegas, but taking care of the kids helped pass the time. Ed taught the kids how to hunt bug-eyed monsters. He was the pilot while they were the gunners. They shot just about every unusual thing that they saw, including quite a few billboards. The agent driving the car laughed so hard at times that he had difficulty controlling the car. The youngest kids opened the back of the vehicle they were in and fell asleep on each side of Rover. Rover purred as the kids slept snuggled up to him. Beth, the least comfortable of them with kids, taught the boy and girl in the car how to take each other's pulse, test reflexes and other similar activities. Kelly was in the car with two teenaged boys. They were both very interested in girls and took the opportunity to ask Kelly hundreds of questions about what girls wanted from guys. When they arrived at the hospital, a number of crisis counselors were waiting for the abducted people to provide counseling. A good portion of the trauma had been negated by the care of Rover. As soon as the kids were out of sight, Rover took off like a shot through the hospital. Ed looked at Beth and Kelly, "We better follow along before he gets in trouble." They raced along looking for Rover. It wasn't difficult to follow him as screams and shouts of surprise followed him. In a few minutes they walked into John's room and found Rover on his back paws with his front paws resting on the bed looking intently at John. Beth approached the bed and examined John carefully. She placed a hand on the back of Rover's head and told him, "Don't worry Rover, he's okay. He's healing himself." She stepped back and turned to Kelly. "Take his vital signs. I'll get his chart from the nurses station. Ed, keep him from being disturbed." She left the room and headed towards the nurses station. Ed went to the door and guarded it. Kelly took his pulse and blood pressure. Rover curled up under the bed. John lay on the bed breathing regularly. A nurse came down the hall and tried to enter the room. Ed stopped her stating, "You are not allowed in there at the moment." The nurse looked indignant, "Who are you?" "I'm his personal body guard. He's under our care from now on." Beth returned to the room carrying John's chart. She muttered, "The fools declared him dead." Ed stepped out of the way and let her in. He kept the nurse from following her into the room. The nurse stormed off. A few minutes later several armed guards arrived with the intention of removing the visitors. Several FBI agents were coming from the other direction. Ed stepped forward and shut the door behind him. The two groups met in front of Ed. The guards immediately went to grab Ed. The FBI agents flashed their badges and told them to stop. One of the agents stepped forward. Ed recognized him as one of the agents in the jeep when he joined them in the race to the house in the raid. The agent stated, "You four are the bravest people I've ever seen. I saw you get shot and you never slowed down." One of the guards looked at the FBI agent, "He's one of yours?" "No, but he would be a good addition to the team. He participated in the raid this afternoon. He raced to one of the wounded people and took care of him until the doc arrived." Ed shook his head, "Hey, I didn't do that much, but thanks for the praise." The agent asked, "Is the doc in there?" Ed nodded. The agent smiled, "Would you tell her she did a great job patching us up. The doctors here said there was nothing more they could do for us. She did good work. Oh, and tell John that we really appreciate the hotel rooms that he arranged for us. He's got us put up at the MGM Grand for two nights." Ed nodded, "I'll tell them that. Thanks for watching out for us." The crowd dispersed almost as quickly as it had gathered. The guards had shrugged their shoulders and walked away. A doctor arrived within a few minutes. Ed stopped him at the door, "You can't go in there." The doctor stared at Ed, "I'm his doctor." Ed opened the door and stated, "A doctor is here. Says John is his patient." Beth stated, "let him in and come in yourself. John is awake now." Ed led the doctor in. As soon as Ed saw John, he rushed over to him, "Thank the Gods and Goddesses you are alright." John answered in a very strong voice, "Yes, we have them to thank. They denied death to me another time." Ed looked at him for a minute, "You have more work to do my husband to be. Don't worry, I'll be there to guard your back. I'll do a better job next time. I won't let you get so close to the action." John laughed, "Yeah. Let's see you try it, big guy. I heard you got shot charging through the gunfight to get to me." Beth and the other doctor came over to John. They examined him carefully. Removing the bandage showed that John's wound was healing at a phenomenal rate. It looked like he had been injured three weeks ago rather than just in the morning. The doctors conferred some more and decided to release him in the morning. John felt driven to get to Colorado in time for Midwinter's day. He would have time to make it and still take frequent breaks. ------- Chapter 13 John leaned against a boulder watching the evergreens sway in the breeze. Occasionally, handfuls of snow would cascade down from a tree. The snow in the area was over two feet deep and powdery. The footprints that Rover made when he had charged into the woods were visible as dark spots in the snow. He could hear the few birds left in the woods singing. It was peaceful and as quiet as nature allowed. It was never perfectly silent in the woods. Leaves rustled, birds sang, the wind blew, and animals moved. Nature was never static. There was always motion, but the dynamics of natural surroundings was relaxing rather than stressing. John reveled in the solitude. It had been so long since he had the chance to just sit and be at one with nature. His last extended hike had been almost six months ago. He wondered when his next chance to walk alone in the wilderness would occur. He promised himself to make the opportunity rather than wait for it to occur. Having the chance to walk out his back door and walk for hours through the desert was very nice. He was able to put together a couple of two-day hikes on occasion. They satisfied, but they were a poor substitute for the kind of introspection that would occur after two weeks alone. The soft swishing sound of a cross-country skier attracted John's attention. John stood up and adjusted his cloak around his shoulders. He brought his walking stick up and leaned on it. Rover came out of the woods to sit by him. The noise of the skis increased in volume as the skier neared. At the other end of the clearing, a figure emerged moving mechanically. The person stopped at the center of the clearing when they spotted John. The two of them stared at each other for a minute. John spoke in a voice loud enough to carry to the skier, "Come here. I was sent to meet you." The skier slowly approached and stopped about six feet away. John reached under his shirt and brought out his medallions. He showed them to the skier. The skier looked at them and then fished out their medallion. John stated, "I know you're a little disoriented now and full of questions. If you come with me I will answer all of the questions that I can." "Are you going to hurt me too?" The voice sounded feminine. John shook his head. "No, I was thinking of taking you to a café where we could get something to eat and talk." "Okay," replied the skier. With a glance over at Rover, "is he safe?" John nodded, "He's safe." "Okay." John turned and headed up the hill. He still moved a little slowly and stiffly. He hadn't recovered fully from the gunshot wound. It was only three days ago that he had been shot. The skier kept shooting out in front. Finally, John waved, "Hey, slow down. I was shot a couple of days ago. I'm still moving slow." The skier stopped and removed the skis. John headed towards the highway, it was only a mile away. At this pace, it would take him forty-five minutes to reach it. The skier revealed herself by removing her goggles and hat. John glanced over, "My name is John Carter." The woman was silent for a moment and then stated, "I know who you are. You invented the fusion battery." "Yes. More important for you is the fact that I serve the Gods and the Goddesses. I take it that you serve the God?" "I guess." They finally reached the highway. John and the woman followed Rover. John stated, "That's Rover. He's my friend." The woman walked along beside him. Finally, she stated, "My name is Catherine Sullivan." John followed behind Rover. After a while he answered, "It is good to meet you Catherine. Before we get to the café, I must warn you that you've probably undergone some major physical changes. I became more muscular, my hair changed colors, and my cock got bigger. Since I don't know what you looked like before, I can't say what changes you've experienced." Catherine smirked, "Bigger cock? Yeah right." John laughed, "Just wait. When we get in the café, there is a small mirror near the coat rack. I'll remove your coat and give you a chance to examine yourself in the mirror. I'll fumble with the coats for a minute or two. Then I'll take you to the table. You don't want to make people wonder about you." "Sure." They entered the café and John removed her coat and took his time hanging it up. Rover bounded over to the counter where Martha was standing. Other patrons made noises of shock and dismay. Martha smiled as she saw the cat. She shouted into the kitchen, "Six pounds of hamburger served raw!" George shouted out, "Hey, John. Have a seat. I'll be right out with a little snack for Rover." At the interaction between George and Martha, the other patrons slowly returned to eating. John smiled as he hung up his coat. He glanced out of the corner of his eye as the woman stared at herself open mouthed in the mirror. He turned and grabbed her by the arm. He calmly led her over to one of the chairs at the counter. Martha moved over to them. John greeted her, "Hi Martha, I'd like you to meet Catherine. Catherine, this is Martha. She and her husband own this place." Catherine pulled herself together, "Hello Martha. Nice place you have here." Martha smiled, "You can thank John for that. He provided some motivation for us to fix it up." Catherine looked at John for a moment. She tried to remember all that she had heard about him. He was famous for a couple of reasons, but the only one she could remember was the fusion battery. John asked, "What's the soup today?" "Beef Barley. Good hardy soup for a cold day like to today." "Sounds good to me. We'll both take a bowl," John saw George come out of the kitchen with a plate of hamburger. "Hey, George. That had better be for Rover or else your stove isn't working well." George laughed as he came around the counter and set the plate on the floor. Rover went over to it and started eating. "John, don't you know that Rover is the only one that appreciates my ability to not cook!" A couple of patrons laughed at the joke. The realization that the man at the counter was John Carter assured that he wouldn't be bothered. He was actually well known in this region. He had helped bring a much-needed doctor into the area. One of the patrons shouted out, "Hey John, you need to visit the hospital here. Both doctors are getting meaner every year. We need you to put them in their place!" Everyone, except Catherine, laughed. The story of John's stay in the hospital down the road was very well known. John replied, "You just have to kiss them on the lips!" "Hey, since the old doc got married his wife won't let us kiss him anymore! We figure she'll let you." The man talking was huge and John couldn't imagine how anyone could intimidate him. The laughter was wide spread. Martha turned to Catherine, "As you can tell, John is a legend around here. He's helped many people in this area. He saved the daughter of the Sheriff from being killed by a serial killer, brought us a new doctor in the area, saved a boy, and helped take care of old Jed's place after he died. Every once in a while he makes the evening news and he's all that the town can talk about." Catherine turned to stare at John. She remembered some of the other things about John that she had heard. John turned to her and stated, "My exploits are exaggerated. There are a hundred people there and they give me all the credit. It's not fair." Martha smirked, "Keep saying that and one day you'll find someone who will believe you." George came over to John. He smiled, "That was a nice bit of work you did with the FBI in Nevada. How many of the bastards did they get?" John answered, "Actually I don't know. I was shot in the middle of the whole thing. They hauled me off to the hospital." George stated, "That's not the way I heard it. I heard that you arrested a guy with an automatic rifle after wrestling with him bare handed. Rover took out another one that was hiding in the shed. Then you plugged the barrel on a gun and the fool using it was stupid enough to pull the trigger. That plus the tear gas you threw in the house caused them to surrender." John shrugged, "Well, Rover did get a little angry at the guy that shot me." George asked, "Where did you get shot?" "In the side," John replied pointing to the location. He laughed, "I died, but I'm feeling much better now." Martha asked, "That's at least twice now that you've died." "Just twice. Let's not exaggerate it any more than it is." George shook his head, "So you died four days ago with a gunshot in the side. What are you doing here?" John looked at Catherine, "I came here to meet her. I promised Jed that I would be here to find the new owner of his store. She's probably the one. Still have to interview her." Catherine looked around, "What do you mean, you promised Jed to give me the store? What store?" John smiled, "All in good time. Hey, speaking of time, where's our soup? You feed the fur-ball, but starve us?" Rover shot John a look and went back to cleaning the plate with his tongue. John leaned over to Rover and whispered, "Sorry about that." Two bowls of soup magically appeared in front of John and Catherine. John dug into the soup for a minute savoring the warmth. He looked up at Martha and George, "This soup is great!" Martha asked, "What else can we get for you to eat?" "I would like a grilled cheese sandwich. Rover will take another four pounds of hamburger, if you have it. How about you Catherine?" "I think I would like a Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato sandwich." George answered, "How about two pounds of cubed steak? I'm a little low on hamburger." John nodded, "That'll be fine. Of course, this time you are going to have to give me the real price of our food. If you don't, I'll write into all of the contracts that no one is allowed to sell you a fusion battery!" "Oh, I'm mortally wounded," replied George. He laughed, "I never met anyone get so mad about getting undercharged!" George went into the kitchen to work on their order. Martha drifted off to take care of some other customers. John turned to Catherine, "So tell me. Do you make things?" Other people might not have understood the question, but Catherine knew exactly what John was asking. She nodded, "Yeah. I make all of my own camping equipment." John smiled, "Good, then you are the one I was sent to get." George delivered the meal and the couple ate it. After a morning in the cold weather, the soup and sandwiches really hit the spot. Everyone, including Rover, left the restaurant feeling much better. They walked down the street and got into John's rental car. Rather than heading to the store, John first went to the hospital. Catherine and Rover followed him in. John saw the receptionist and winked. She smiled and pointed to the back. John whispered, "Anyone sleeping?" "No. You can shout." John smiled and walked to the middle of the corridor. Catherine followed behind him confused. John shouted out, "I heard there were a couple of guys here pretending to caring physicians." "John! You cad. The veterinarian is down the street. Get there now!" The voice of old Dr. Simpson echoed down the halls. "Come on out here you old goat and let me kiss you! I come into town and everyone is complaining about you!" Dr. Simpson came out of his office and walked up to John. He was laughing, "So what are you doing here?" "Ah, I came to get some stitches looked at. I think I pulled a couple this morning." "Do you want me to do it or your friend?" "Where is Dougie?" Dr. Simpson smiled, "He's hiding in my office. We flipped a coin to see who would come out here. I lost." John laughed heartily. Nurse John came out of one of the rooms. John saw him and shouted, "Hey, Nurse John. I'm still waiting for you to dress up for me." "John Carter, this place hasn't been the same since the last time you were here." "I'm going to let Dr. Simpson patch this old body up. That is, if his hands don't shake too much." Dr. Simpson grabbed John by the ear and pulled him down the hall to one of the examination rooms. John made little noises of complaint, but followed him anyway. Catherine looked puzzled, but followed them down the hall with Rover. She entered in time to hear the doctor stated, "Okay, remove the shirt." She stared in horror at the mass of scars. The doctor pulled off the bandages as another doctor entered the room. The other doctor stated, "I thought we had agreed that the next time we were going to send him to the vet." It was at that time, Doug noticed the cougar sitting at his feet. He jumped in the air, "Jesus. John is that your cat?" John grimaced as Dr. Simpson pulled on a stitch, "Yes it is. His name is Rover. He doesn't like vets." Dr. Simpson smiled, "Well, I was hoping we would get to operate on this degenerate without anesthetic." "I heard that a certain doctor made an honest woman out of Myrtle. Congratulations." Dr. Simpson grunted, "She married me for my body." Even Catherine laughed at that one. John started to laugh, but Dr. Simpson pulled on another stitch. John looked over at Doug, "So Dougie, have you found a love interest yet?" "Yes, you might know her. Her favorite sex game is pirates!" John looked embarrassed, "Oh, you must mean Lucy. She's perfect for you. That's great. I'm really very happy for you." Dr. Simpson interrupted, "Lie down here. We need to remove all of these stitches. Taking into account your healing rate, they should have been taken out yesterday." Doug walked up to the edge of the bed and looked over John. He said, "Jesus, John. You look like you've been in a war. I see gunshots and knife wounds." "You should see the bottom half. I have shrapnel, burns, and snakebites in addition to gunshots and knife wounds." Catherine stared at his body. She was sure that she was going to look just like that because of the medallion around her neck. She couldn't believe how cavalier he was about the scars. She would never let anyone see her body if it looked like that. She asked, "Is that going to happen to me?" John laughed, "I seriously doubt it. I'm a special case." Doug replied, "You can say that again." Dr. Simpson told John to roll over on his side so that he could get the stitches around the entry point. John did as requested and more scars became visible. Catherine shuddered at the sight of the long one down his back. Doug asked the question that was on her mind, "How'd you get that ugly one down your back?" "Getting a kid out of a burning building. I didn't see a nail or something when I slid out the window." Doug's voice got very soft, "Your brother would be very proud of you." John nodded, "I know. He'd be proud of you too. The people in this town are very happy you are here. They teased me about you, but it doesn't fool me." "Thanks, it means a lot to me to hear that from you." Catherine asked, "How do you two know each other?" Doug answered, "We grew up together in Texas. His brother was my best friend." A female voice was heard in the hall outside the door, "Avast, me maties. Prepare to be boarded!" John and Doug answered in unison, "Shiver me timbers!" Lucy entered the room. She gave Doug a very emotional kiss. She smiled at John. "Thanks for bringing this guy here. If I could get him to wear a peg leg, my life with him would be perfect." John laughed. "I could just picture that." Dr. Simpson sat back. "I'm done. Get dressed and get out of here before you corrupt more of the staff around here." "Thanks doc. What do I owe you?" "Don't worry about it. You opened my eyes regarding Myrtle. Of course, she is after me for my body." John shook his hand and hugged Doug. Lucy kissed him. She stated, "Next time you come to town, make sure you visit us." John frowned, "You aren't going to invite me to the wedding?" Doug laughed, "Yes, but only if you wear a pirates costume." "I'm gonna buy you a parrot for a wedding present!" Lucy laughed. On that note, John and Catherine left the room. Rover followed them, pausing only to look in each room. When they got to the car, Catherine turned to John. "The doctors in there were nasty to you.' John laughed, "No, they weren't. You heard many inside jokes told in gruff voices that hid their real feelings. They are both very good doctors. Dr. Simpson saved my life once." John started the car. He put it into gear and pulled out of the hospital. Catherine asked, "Where are we going now?" "Off to the Sheriff's office. You're going to meet him sometime and it's best if I'm the one that introduces you." Catherine sat back. Unexpectedly she stated, "You know my comment about you getting a bigger cock. Well, I gained some curves, lost about ten pounds, and gained two cup sizes on my breasts. My nipples have been hard ever since I left the woods." "It takes a bit of getting used to, but you'll adjust. Pretty soon, you'll look in the mirror and not even think of the changes." Catherine shook her head, "That'll never happen. You go from an A cup to a C cup instantaneously and then tell me about it." He laughed, "Well, I've gone from six inches to eight, so I know what you are feeling." "Eight?" "Yes. Oh, and you've lost a day. You were in there for twenty-four hours." "Damn, my parents must be worried about me. I promised to call them last night." "Don't worry. Those kinds of things work out," replied John as he pulled into a parking space. He got out of the car followed by Rover. Catherine got out on the other side. She followed him into the Sheriff's office. John shouted, "I surrender. Which cell is mine?" "John, I swear one of these days I'm going to throw you in the cell just for scaring the hell out of me." The Sheriff came out of the back room and looked at John. He smiled, "It's good to see you again, John. You did a great job the other day." "Thanks. That means a lot coming from you. I want you to meet Catherine. I'm giving her ownership of Jed's place." The Sheriff nodded in the direction of Catherine before asking, "Are you sure that you want to do that?" John nodded, "It was Jed's wish that I find the person to take it over." "I take it she's one of you?" Catherine asked, "What does that mean?" "We get a lot of strange people that come through this town. Almost without exception, they all stop at Jed's. When Jed died, the whole lot of them showed up. Every one stranger than the previous one. I don't know what's behind it all, but that was the most peaceful this town has been ever since I became Sheriff. Not a single speeding ticket, argument, parking ticket, or drunk." John nodded, "It was a nice ceremony." The Sheriff nodded, "The whole town showed up. We never saw anything like it. I swear you could almost see Gods and Goddesses gathered around the body." John looked thoughtful. He interrupted, "Well, I just came by to introduce you to each other. I'm sure she wants to see the store." The Sheriff shook her hand, "Glad to meet you Catherine. I'll stop around the store later and help you get settled into the community. I imagine you'll need a house in the area. Myrtle's place is available. It would be a good place for you, particularly if you travel as much as Jed. I live right next door. No one will bother you there." Catherine looked surprised, "Thank you, Sheriff. I'll look forward to it." She followed John and Rover out the office. At the door, she turned and looked at the Sheriff for a minute. She got into the car quietly. "Every one talks like I'm moving here and taking over a store. Tell me about it." John started the car, but didn't put it into gear. He stated, "Jed was our supplier. He made custom equipment that was appropriate for each one of us who received a medallion. He made my staff and this cloak." "He died at the end of summer. You are his replacement. As such, you will get the store. I don't know how it works, but a maker knows what equipment is needed before the person is even selected. I'm sure it is some kind of urge to create something specific. You won't be able to ignore it." "I guess that is reasonable." John continued, "Jed spent most of his time traveling. I don't think there is any part of the world he did not hike through. That includes the north and south poles. He assembled a very good staff at the shop, so if you take it over you won't really have to be here except when the urge calls you back. Again, I don't know exactly how it works." Catherine asked, "Does it matter what I want to do? I mean, I may not want the store." "I have no idea. What were your plans for the future?" "I'm going to college to get a degree in business. Once I graduate, I'll open a business." John laughed, "So you are going to do it in reverse. You're going to get a business and then get a degree in business." John put the car into gear and headed to the store. Catherine was silent the whole way. Rover studied her carefully, as though he were memorizing her features. The trip to the store only took a minute. John parked in the parking lot. He got out of the car. Rover raced past him heading into the woods behind the store. John laughed, "He'll be back shortly." Catherine went into the store and stopped as the magnitude of it overwhelmed her. She looked around in awe at the variety of merchandise displayed. The effect on her was almost sexual as chills ran up and down her spine. She had come here to cross country ski and now she was going to own this magnificent place. A clerk approached her as she stood there, "May I help you, ma'am?" She didn't know how to answer. John saved the day by entering the store. He smiled at the kid who immediately recognized him. He turned to Catherine, "Excuse me a minute ma'am." John said, "Call the employees that are duty over here." The kid stuck two fingers in his mouth in gave a shrill whistle. People appeared out of nowhere and stood in a semi-circle around John. John smiled, "Everyone, I would like to introduce the new owner to you. This is Catherine. Catherine would you like to say a few words to everyone." Catherine nervously cleared her throat. She stated, "This is all very sudden. This is an amazing place. I want to keep it that way. With your help, we will." John had gone behind the counter and pulled out two envelopes. He walked over to Catherine and handed her one of them. He was left with one last envelope addressed to The Grand Druid. He stated, "This is yours. Jed wrote it before he died." John handed the keys over to her and then left. Rover was waiting by the car. Catherine turned to see him driving off into the sunset. Somehow, it seemed fitting. ------- Chapter 14 Rover lay on his back sleeping. His tail thrashed and his paws clawed the air. John was asleep on his sleeping bag. His sleep was not peaceful. They weren't bothered by heat. It was early spring and the weather was wonderful. The front and the back doors were open. A wonderful breeze blew through the house keeping it cool. The screen doors kept the bugs and wild animals out of the house. It was the time of the new moon, so it was very dark outside. The darkness tended to make the neighborhood dogs nervous. They barked at the least little disturbance. Since this included the snoring of a neighbor, the dogs barked almost the whole night. That might have accounted for their nervousness, but both had lived here for a while and no longer noticed the dogs. It was something that was a little more insidious. John and Rover snapped awake at the sound of two phffts. Although he had been asleep when the sounds were made, he was sure that it was the sound of a pistol with a silencer. He grabbed his staff and stood. Rover stood as well. Neither of them made a sound. John stood near the door listening for any sounds in the hallway. He heard a slight noise about five feet down the hall and moving towards him. He thrust his staff into the hall as he turned on the light. The silence was broken by a loud curse, "Shit." The curse was followed by a dozen phffts. When the shooting stopped, John stepped into the hall swinging his walking stick upwards. It connected with the intruders groin. The intruder dropped to his knees as he uttered a harsh groan. Rover raced to the interloper. A blood-curdling scream cut through the air when Rover closed his jaws on the wrist of the hand that held the gun. John hit the man across the face with the walking stick. The scream died as the man lost consciousness. Rover let go of the man's wrist, which hit the floor with a dull thud. Tires squealed in the street outside the house as a car sped off into the night. A siren sounded as more tires squealed. Above the barking dogs, John could hear the sounds of gunshots. Hundreds of shots rang out in the night. The different sounds of shots suggested that twenty different types of weapons were fired. The front door burst open and John spun around to meet the intruder. The light on his walking stick turned off as he touched the switch. The lights in the living room came on as Ed shouted out, "John! Where are you?" Relieved John shouted, "I'm in the hall." Ed came around the corner and turned on the hall lights. Both John and Rover shook their heads at the sudden brightness. Ed walked over to the man on the floor. "Who's this?" Once his eyes adjusted to the light, John examined the man. He answered, "I have no idea." Rover sniffed the man and then went to the back door. He sat there quietly looking out into the night. With a suddenness that shocked John and Ed, Rover let loose with a very loud yell. It was answered by two yells. John walked to the back door and turned on the lights. There were two more cats sitting in the backyard. To the right was a bobcat and to the left was a much larger black panther. They rose at the same time and moved over to the door. Rover pushed the door open to let them in. Rover turned and left the house through the front door. John walked into the hallway to check on the person there. Ed joined him. The panther moved through the house to sit at the front door. John looked at Ed, "I guess Rover called for re-enforcement's." "So where did he go?" John thought about it for a moment and then answered, "I bet he went across the street to watch your house in case anyone went over there." "Smart cat." There was a knock on the front door. A voice called out, "John, this is Juan Ortega. Are you alright in there?" "I'm fine. I'll be right there. Don't come in yet." Juan called back, "Don't worry, I see the panther. I'm not going to make a move." John whispered, "Ed, tie this guy up. I don't feel comfortable with him here. I have no idea how to deal with our new bodyguards." Ed went into the bedroom and returned with the rope that was packed in the backpack. He tied up the man on the floor while John went to the front door. The panther was poised next to the door as though ready to lunge. John stated, "It's okay. I know Juan. He's a policeman." The cat sat down and licked a paw. John opened the door and let Juan in. Juan stated, "My partner is in the back covering the rear door." John frowned, "I'm afraid he better not come in until we get there." John walked into the dining room and looked at the bobcat sitting beside the door. His ears were up and his rear wriggled as he prepared to lunge. John said, "hey, cat. It's okay. It's a policeman." The cat relaxed, but continued to watch the backyard. Juan called out, "Robert, you can come in now." The policeman came to the back door and opened it slowly. He looked at the bobcat by the door. Juan stated, "Robert White Feather, I want you to meet John Carter." "Is that your cat?" John answered, "I don't know. He came when Rover called him." "Rover?" "Yeah, my cougar." Robert looked at John with significant interest. He stated, "My Grandfather talks to coyotes. He would probably like to meet you." Juan looked up at the sky. He was tired of all the Indian spirit talk from his partner. He changed the subject, "So what happened?" John waved at them to follow him into the hallway. "This bastard tried to assassinate me. He came into the bedroom and fired two shots. Fortunately, I don't use that bedroom. I sleep on the floor in the other room." John pointed to the night vision glasses that hung around the guys neck. "I shoved my walking stick with the light on in his face. It must have blinded him because he shot wildly in every direction. I then caught him in the groin with the walking stick. Rover bit his wrist and I hit him across the face with my walking stick. He hasn't moved since then." Robert bent down to look at the guy on the floor. He looked at the wall on the other end of the hallway. He looked in the bedroom where the first pair of shots had originated. He came back out and knelt down by the guy again. He looked up at John, "This guy is a professional. You're very lucky to be alive." Juan swore, "Damn it, tell me how you decided that." Robert pointed to the man, "He is dressed all in black with clothes that won't make a noise when he walks. He has night vision glasses that are special forces issue. The silencer on the pistol is professionally made. The two shots in the bed were where two people would normally sleep. He didn't fire more once he realized the bed was empty. The shots in the wall form a nice pattern at locations about where a man holding a flashlight would have been standing. The pattern in the center is where a man would stand if he held the flashlight in front of him. The pattern over to there is where a right-handed man would stand if he were police trained. The smaller pattern over there is where a left-handed man would stand if he were police trained." John smiled, "Impressive." Juan swore, "Damn. It makes sense to me." Ed asked, "So what was going on with all of that shooting I heard when I ran over here?" Juan answered, "The scream from here woke everyone in town. The chief saw a car speeding away from here with its lights off. He went in pursuit and the idiot fired at him. Half the town fired back at the idiot. He crashed his car. We've got him in custody." John smiled, "I guess the town doesn't like its law enforcement types getting shot at. That would make me feel a lot better about being a cop in this area." Robert looked at John, "Some give one reason while others give another. It's hard to know what motivates people." Rover came back in the room with Beth following him. She knelt by the man on the floor and examined his injuries. She looked up, "You did a good job on him. He has a broken jaw and a shattered wrist. He also appears to have a concussion." John stated, "I hit him in the nuts too." Beth added, "Probably has a crushed testicle. We need to get him to the hospital." Juan stated, "An ambulance is on the way." Beth nodded, "I'll call Kelly and let her know that she is to keep her distance from this patient. That will limit the hospital liability." John stated, "If she hadn't taken that shift tonight, she'd be dead now. So would I." Beth looked surprised, "All the more reason to keep her away from him. I'll call the administration at the hospital to make sure of that." Beth left and went to the telephone. The man on the floor started to regain consciousness. Rover let out a little chirp and the other two cats joined him. They formed a circle around his head and bared their teeth. The guy wet his pants on seeing the cats looking down at him. Robert watched the cats and looked at John. "You must meet my Grandfather." Robert stood and left the house. John watched him leave and thought about what he had said. There were several reasons to talk to his grandfather, only one of which had to do with his cats. The ambulance arrived and the assassin was taken away. The police chief came and took an official statement. An agent from the FBI called requesting that John come in the morning and debrief them concerning the attack. The big question on everyone's mind was why John had been the target of what appeared to be a professional assassination. When everything quieted down, John, Ed, and Beth sat down to talk about the events. Ed angrily stated, "They tried to kill you." John nodded, "Yes, they did." Beth spate out, "We've got to do something about it." John was silent for a minute, "We are doing something about it." "What are we doing?" John stated, "Our new house will be ready in a month. It will have state of the art security equipment." Beth folded her arms and state back starting angrily at John, "Just wait until Kelly gets here. She's going to read you the riot act." Ed asked, "How did she take the news?" "She took it real good. She wants him to leave the hospital in the best condition possible." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. Kelly actually told her that she'd cut his dick off and shove it down his throat. They expected Kelly to arrive within an hour and decided to wait for her before talking anymore about the attempt. No one said much after that. John was trying to figure out why someone would want to assassinate him. Ed made a decision that he was going to take whatever actions were necessary to protect his family. Beth was reliving the death of Betsy. Kelly's arrival was much quieter than anyone had thought possible. She softly opened the door and entered the room without greeting. She sat on the floor next to John. Every one turned to look at her. Her voice was unnaturally loud, "What the fuck is going on?" "We were waiting for you to talk about what we do next." Kelly snarled, "Did you at least torture some information out of him?" John's voice was calm, "No. He doesn't know anything other than who hired him and that person probably doesn't even know why the contract was arranged." Kelly sank down, her anger exhausted. "So what now?" John answered, "I'd like to get naked and make love with my future spouses." Ed laughed, "That's the best idea I've heard all night." Kelly stood up and ripped her shirt off, throwing the buttons across the room. John started stripping with just a little more regard for his clothes. Beth and Ed soon followed. In less than a minute the clothes were spread over the floor as four naked adults moved together to make the kind of love that follows a violent threat to life. It wasn't the soft loving normally made between loving couples. It wasn't as violent as rape. It was the intense coupling of individuals propagating the species in light of danger. There weren't love kisses, there were love bites. The men's backs were scratched by nails that dug in and held the men close to the women. Stiff cocks driven by bodies energized by danger, thrust savagely into the women. Hips rose willingly to meet the savage thrusts. The air was filled with grunts, groans, screams, and the sounds of bodies slamming into each other. Orgasms? The concept didn't even apply in this situation. Ejaculation was an afterthought to the emotions that accompanied the release of pent up hormones, desires, anger, and fear. The aftermath was total exhaustion. They collapsed where they had been and slept peacefully. Three cats patrolled the house keeping everyone away. Neighbors gathered in the morning to learn more, but none dared enter the property. The arrival of the bobcat and the black panther was the most frequent topic of conversation. However, the arrests of the night before led to more excitement in the discussion. John was the first to wake. He carefully untangled himself from the arms and legs of Beth, Kelly, and Ed. He was stiff and sore. The night's passion had drained him. He looked outside and couldn't believe how late it was. He looked out the front door and saw the crowd. He knew he needed to get out there and talk with people. He dressed with the clothes that had been scattered around the floor. He went out the back door and performed his normal morning ritual. Taking a deep breath, he walked around to the front of the building. The crowd grew quiet as the cats joined him. He stepped up to the fence. He stated, "Good morning everyone. I'm sorry about the excitement last night. I assure you that I did not plan it." His comment was greeted with laughter. He continued, "Last night a man broke into my house with the intention of killing me. Rover and I subdued the man and he is now in custody in the secure ward at the hospital. Another individual was captured as he raced out of here by many of you and the Chief of Police. I thank you for your contribution to his capture." When he paused, Maria from next door asked, "Where did the cats come from?" John laughed, "I don't know, Maria. Rover called out last night and they came. I don't know if they are going to stay here or if they will leave." The man who had sold him the goats asked, "Are you gonna need more goats?" John laughed, "I think with that many cats, we are going to have to come up with a different solution. Talk to me in a couple of days.' Another man stated, "We are thinking of closing the road." John shook his head, "Please, don't do that for me. I would like it if everyone lives their lives like normal." Another person asked, "Is there anything we can do?" John smiled, "You can come to our wedding in a couple of weeks! The whole town is invited." The announcement was met with mixed reactions. Most people reacted by clapping their hands and shouts of congratulations. A few shrugged their shoulders. A handful reacted negatively as though what they were doing was an offense to nature. John noted the ones with excessively negative reactions and made a mental note to himself. The crowd slowly dispersed and John returned to the house. He was followed by the three cats. Holding the door open, he looked out at the street for stragglers. There were still a few people standing together chatting. He went into the house and looked at his lovers sleeping on the floor. He shook his head at the awesome luck that had brought him such three loving people. He went into the kitchen and started breakfast. Today was going to be busy. He had to go to Phoenix and brief them on what happened last night. Ed was going to the house to oversee some of the construction. Beth and Kelly had to work. Breakfast this morning was going to be big, consisting of eggs, sausage, toast, and fruit. He was almost done with preparing breakfast when Ed and Beth came into the kitchen. Both headed straight for the coffeepot. Ed was his normal slow moving self, moving but not really thinking. His movements were slightly uncoordinated. Beth moved like a robot, each motion precise but no driving emotion behind them. Kelly didn't come out for a while. He set the table. A naked Beth and Ed seated themselves and started eating. John went into the living room to wake Kelly. She was awake and dressed. Her shirt hung open without having buttons with which to close it. She smiled up at him as he enjoyed the occasional peaks that he had of her breasts. In his mind, it was sexier than if she were going topless. They joined the others at the table. Breakfast started silently as they were more concerned with filling their stomachs and waking. Finally, Beth sat back and said, "That was incredible." John said, "Thanks, but it was a normal breakfast." Beth laughed, "I wasn't talking about breakfast." John blushed. Kelly looked at the two men. She stated, "Oh, yes. I really needed that." Beth asked, "So which of you two studs did me last night?" John and Ed shrugged their shoulders as they looked at each other. Kelly laughed, "Do you mean that four people had amazing sex on the floor last night and have no idea who they fucked?" The whole group burst out in laughter. The situation was funny and no one's feelings were hurt by the fact that they had been faceless to the others. Kelly asked, "So what is going to happen to Shadow and Tiger?" John asked, "Who?" "Shadow and Tiger." John thought about it for a minute, "They will stay or they will go. It is their choice, not mine. I hope that Rover chooses to stay. He was magnificent last night." Ed nodded, "I like having them around, though. I feel much better." John got up and started clearing the table. Beth and Kelly jumped up, "Don't do that. You made breakfast, we'll do the dishes. You have to get into the city and talk to the FBI." John acknowledged the logic of their request. He went into his bedroom and showered before dressing in fresh clothes. He looked down at Tiger, at least he assumed the bobcat's name was Tiger. The cat watched him carefully. John asked, "Is your name Tiger?" The cat rubbed his head on John's knee. John accepted that the cat would answer to Tiger. He finished buttoning his shirt. Slipping on his shoes, he looked in the mirror staring at the person looking back at him. He realized that he was physically ready to go, but all that he really wanted to do was stay home. There wasn't any way around going into the city. He left the house and opened the jeep door. Expecting to see Rover, he was surprised when Tiger jumped in the jeep. He looked back and saw Rover sitting by the front door. He waved to Rover to come over to the jeep, but Rover went into the house. John stood there a little disappointed at being abandoned by Rover. He watched as Ed left the house to go across the street to get clothes for Kelly and Beth. He was followed by Shadow. He realized that Rover was going to accompany the women and understood that it was probably for the best. He got into the jeep and headed into Phoenix. He watched his surroundings carefully, curious if he was being followed. He didn't see anything suspicious, but then he hadn't seen anything odd for the past few weeks. He pulled into a parking space at the Federal Building and got out of the car. He held the door longer than necessary, Tiger did not have a long tail to get caught in the door. He entered the building. Security, used to seeing Rover, looked in surprise at the much smaller cat gliding behind John. He smiled, showed his badge, and went through the metal detector. Tiger followed him through. They went up the elevator, with Tiger making a funny little noise when it started moving and another when it stopped. It reminded John of the first time that Rover had ridden the elevator. Stepping into the hallway in front of the receptionist, the woman looked up and pointed down the hall. "Fitzpatrick is waiting for you." John walked down the hallway to Fitzpatrick's office. John stepped into the office and stated, "Hello, Sidney and Missy." "Hello, John and Rover." There was a quick movement as the cat jumped onto the desk. John stated, "Rover didn't come today. I'd like you to meet Tiger, he's a bobcat." Sidney's hands reached out and found the cat. He moved his hands gently over the cat's body and smiled, "Amazing. He's about the size of Missy." Tiger leapt of the desk and moved over to inspect Missy. John sat down in the chair opposite Sidney. He stated, "I guess you've been assigned to debrief me?" "Yes, I'm particularly good at getting details most people miss. I try to construct a mental image of what happened and just keep asking questions until I get a full picture. I'm also good at spotting inconsistencies." John related the events of the evening before. As he told the story, Sidney kept interrupting and asking questions to clarify details. The picture that emerged was very detailed. Sidney listened carefully to John's rendition of Robert White Feather's investigation. When John finished telling his story, Sidney stated, "I'd like to meet the Indian one day." John stated, "Well, he's invited to the wedding ceremony. The whole office here is invited as well." Sidney replied, "When is it?" John stated, "I'm not sure. We are waiting for the house to be completed. It should be done in a couple of weeks. We expect to move in a month of now. A week after we'll have the ceremony." Sidney answered, "I'll try to make it. I'll have to arrange a ride." John answered, "Okay. Let's get back to business for a moment. What do you make of the attempt on me last night?" Sidney asked, "What cases are you working on?" "Nothing right now. The last case was the drug smuggling case a month ago." Sidney sat back, "You might want to look at that one a little more carefully. It seems to me that you may have touched a nerve somewhere. They just want to make sure that you don't follow up on it." John nodded. He hadn't thought of that. He wasn't getting the urge to work on that case and it bothered him to consider that it might be connected to that case. They had arrested several high level people in the organization. He asked, "Could it be possible that they want to make sure that I can't testify against them?" "That's possible." They chatted a little more before John left Sidney's office. He walked down the hall and noticed that Ann's door was open. He was about to walk in, but decided to knock this time. He knocked. Ann looked up and the surprise registered when she saw that it was John. She smiled, "Come in, John, and shut the door behind you." John came in the room and closed the door. Tiger sat at his feet. Ann looked at the cat and shook her head. "We want to put you in protective custody." "Not possible." Ann frowned, "Look, you've been involved in three big cases. The serial killer, the white slavery ring, and the drug ring. One of them is after you big time. They spent a hundred thousand to kill you. All we know is that the hit-man was hired by a Hispanic." John sat back and smiled, "I know which one it is. I need to look through some of the records, but I'm sure that I can give you their name by the end of the day." Ann sat back in disbelief, "How will you manage that?" John smiled, "There are three Hispanic men that were receiving abducted people in the white slavery ring. Two of them were consistent, for their most part, in their orders. The third seemed to be all over the map. I will bet that he is a middleman that just found himself out of a supplier. I'll bet money he is trying to restart a ring in this country." Ann looked thoughtful. She stated, "You may be right. So what do you propose to do about it?" "How about using the East Coast Ring to catch him?" Ann looked puzzled, "There's not a ring like that on the East Coast. We were very thorough in looking for the indicators that you identified." John smiled, "He doesn't know that. Suppose he got a call from the head of the ring. Do you think that might drive him out of Mexico?" Ann laughed, "Yes it would. The question is how do we set it up?" John smiled, "I don't know. That's your department. For now, I'm going to go home and prepare a special dinner for my fiancées." ------- Chapter 15 It was Midsummer's Day and the wedding was in a week. The preparations for the wedding were overwhelming. They expected to have over to nine hundred guests - almost a thousand if everyone showed up. The whole population of the town had been invited, people from Arizona University and University of Texas, friends from Austin, his hometown, family members, and all of the people with whom they worked. John had booked all of the rooms of two hotels for the people that were traveling. The affair was being catered by nine different companies. Folding chairs, tents, and portable toilets were being set up in the back yard of the house. Money wasn't an issue, every time John turned around more money was being deposited in his accounts. He actually believed that he had underestimated how much money the fusion battery and the fusion well would create. The non-profit charity that he had established, was now one of the richest charities in the country. They had close to two thousand people managing different funding efforts. Jack had a team of accountants that went through the books continuously. Jim now had a staff of lawyers that were hand picked by him. Kelly kept walking through the house looking at everything in it. This was a dream that had come true well beyond her wildest imaginings. The house was divided into two main sections. The front contained various entertainment areas (dining room, living room, dance floor, kitchen) and a dozen bedrooms on the second floor for the staff. The kitchen alone was almost the size of a house and fully furnished with professional quality equipment. The back of the house was totally different. There were twelve bedrooms around the backside of an inner atrium. Every bedroom was two stories. The lower story had a sitting area, a bathroom, and a sleeping area. The top floor could serve as a private office. Near the front was a swimming pool and spa area. An informal living room, dining room, library, and kitchen were for personal use. They were located in the transition area between the public area and the private area. Beth had taken one of the bedrooms and turned it into a private hospital with two beds. She had the stairs removed and an elevator put in its place. She was busy putting a surgical area into place on the top floor. She worked with a single-minded determination; swearing that she would not stand by and watch John die because she didn't have the equipment on hand to save him. John had donated the money for the house and the hospital, demanding that every cent be used on quality. Ed was out of town on some rock-hunting expedition with the University and wouldn't be back in a couple of days. His absence irritated John far beyond what was appropriate. He understood intellectually that sometimes one had to follow their desires, but the timing seemed odd. It was even worse when Ed had told him he didn't know when he would return. Ed and John shared one of the empty bedrooms as a place to work with rocks or perform experiments. The second floor was Johns and had been outfitted with special vents, automatic extinguishers, and other equipment to prevent the room from being a hazard. Ed's section was still bare. John didn't know why that bothered him so much. John decided to call the University and find out when the expedition planned to return. He went to the telephone in the library and dialed the number for the secretary of the department. After a minute of conversation, John was shocked to learn that there had been no expedition. John had a very bad feeling about the turn of events. He walked over to the shelf that held his travel journals and swore when he discovered that one of them was missing. The missing journal described his first experience in the woods. No wonder none of the cats joined Ed on this trip. It was too late now to do anything about it. He hoped that the Gods and Goddesses would be kind to him. He had never heard of anyone deliberately seeking them out. If Ed had any luck, they wouldn't be there. Ed deliberately followed the route that John had described in his journal. He knew he had reached the right place when the feel of the land suddenly changed. He expected to see a man or a woman step into view at the edge of the woods. He took a few steps forward and, true to his expectations, a man stepped out from behind a tree. The man was exceptionally obese. He had breasts larger than most women. He had a small cock that was almost hidden by a roll of fat. His face had huge jowls, a double chin, hooked nose, and large flapping ears. The one feature that stood out from the rest was the lips. They bulged out obscenely, flapping as he moved. The man gestured Ed to follow. Ed obeyed with great reluctance. He knew what was going to happen next. He was going to be raped by this monster. The idea repelled him, but he would do it to protect John. His stomach twisted at the thought of touching the man, but he followed as close as possible. They came to an empty clearing. The grotesque man came to a stop and turned to face Ed. Ed braced himself for an attack that didn't come. The man said, "Ed Biggers, the God and the Goddess would not come. They have given John all of the protection that he requires." "John has died twice. Fat lot of good their protection has served him. He needs me to help protect him. I demand to see one of them!" His challenge was met by laughter, "You demand? A mere mortal demand of us?" Ed stubbornly replied, "Yes. I demand." The man held up a medallion and tossed it a few feet away. Laughing, he stated, "If you survive long enough to get it, I will give you a gift that can help John." Ed dove for the medal. His progress was interrupted by the man grabbing him in midair. Ed fought with everything that he had. The man ripped off Ed's clothes as if they were made of paper. He threw Ed to the ground. Ed scrambled in the direction of the medallion. The man halted Ed's progress by jumping on him. Ed's cock had grown erect almost immediately, despite his attempt to will it down. Ed's eyes grew huge in wonder as the man slowly turned into a woman. As the tremendously fat woman lowered herself on him, he continued to struggle to reach the medallion. She started to rock herself on his cock. He used her motion to help move him towards the medallion. It was now only five feet away, but his progress towards it could be measured in tenths of an inch. When he moved too far forward, the fat lady would bend his cock back so hard that Ed was sure that it would break. When she adjusted her position, he would start to move toward the medallion again. She leaned forward and jammed a breast in his mouth. He struggled to breathe around the monster breast. Even as he struggled to breathe, he continued to work his way towards the medallion. Ed was shocked as the woman started to come. As she came, her cunt squeezed his cock. The squeeze was so tight that it hurt. Ed screamed out in pain as he imagined his cock being cut off by her cunt muscles. Ed still worked to reach the medallion. She continued to ride him. Ed knew she would ride him until he came. He wasn't sure if that would be good or bad. The only thing that he knew was that he needed to reach the medallion. She came several more times. Each time it felt like she was going to rip his cock out by the roots. Throughout Ed worked his way towards the medallion. Suddenly, he came and it was unlike anything that he had ever experience. The contractions were so close together and long that it felt like he was pissing in her rather than coming. She lifted herself off his cock and moved her way to his mouth. Ed used the opportunity to move even closer to the medallion. She lowered herself on his face. Huge globs of cum dripped out of her cunt. She reached back and yanked his cock. His scream was cut off by her cunt forcing its way onto his mouth. Cum drained into his mouth. He had to swallow. He swallowed and then tried to breathe as more cum filled his mouth. He continued to try to move his way towards the medallion. She came and cum flooded his mouth as her legs locked around his head. He couldn't breath and couldn't move. He wondered if this was how he was going to die. He swallowed and swallowed the never-ending stream of cum. She started to rock back and forth on his face. He took a much need breath of air and used her motion to move forward again. The situation got worse as the cunt started turning into a cock. The cock forced itself into his mouth. It continued to grow. He bit it, but it only grew larger. The creature above him had become a man that was now fucking his mouth with a monster cock. Ed used the motion to move closer to the medallion. Each thrust in, he slid along the ground in the direction he desired. He would scoot forward when the man withdrew. The medallion was now only two feet away from his outstretched hand. The action continued until the man came. It was a massive explosion of cum that nearly drowned Ed. He coughed as cum entered his lungs. He retched as cum poured into his stomach. He couldn't breath with the head of monster cock filling his throat. He struggled to move closer to the medallion. The cock suddenly left his mouth. He scrambled towards the medallion. He was within inches of reaching it when the man's hands grabbed him and spun him in the air. He landed on his hands and knees. He started to crawl towards the medallion. His progress was stopped when hands grabbed his hips. It felt like a fist was pressed against his asshole. He screamed when he was entered in one massive thrust that pushed the entire cock into his ass. He tried to scramble forward. He timed his forward movements with the thrusts into his ass. He struggled to hold his gain when the man pulled him back onto his cock. Again, his forward progress could be measured in tenths of an inch. The man reached around and grabbed Ed's cock. The man started masturbating him in time with his thrusts. Ed struggled to move forward. One thought continued to race through his mind, 'I must survive this to protect my family.' The thrusts became harder and faster. He thought his insides would tear at the brutality of the intrusion. He was sure his cock was going to be pulled off. He continued to struggle. The man came and thrust forward extremely forcefully. Ed saw his chance and threw himself forward, flattening himself on the ground. The man followed him to the ground as he continued to press his cock. Ed's hand closed around the medallion. Everything stopped. Ed raised himself to stand on wobbly legs. The man took the medallion from Ed's hand and placed it around his neck. He stated, "I am the Two-sided One. You have done well, Ed Biggers. It is time for you to rest." Ed woke and looked around the clearing. The normal feel of the outdoors had returned. His clothes were new. He felt healthy and energetic. He took a reading on the GPS and headed towards the highway. His progress was amazingly quick. He reached the highway and headed towards town. He stopped at the restaurant in town. He had read about it in John's journal and wondered what the owners were like. He stepped into the restaurant and looked in the mirror. His normal face looked back at him. He looked again and realized that his eyes were now gray. Ed approached the counter and sat down. An elderly woman stood behind the counter and examined Ed for a minute. She asked, "Are you Ed?" Ed nodded in surprise. He asked, "Are you Martha?" She smiled at Ed. "Yes, I am. John called." "Uh oh." She laughed at the expression on his face. It was just like a little boy caught with his hand in a cookie jar. She added, "Right. He said to get something to eat, go to the next town and stop at the camping supply store, and then get home." Ed asked, "Was he mad?" Martha answered, "He was polite." "You're avoiding the question." She smiled, "Yes, I am. Now, what can I get for you?" John looked at the menu for a minute and then spotted something he didn't get to eat very often. It was the daily special. He said, "I'd love some meatloaf." Martha frowned at Ed. She corrected him, "That was yesterday's special." Ed realized that he had lost two days. He recovered by stating, "Oh, right. I didn't notice that it was a daily special. I'll have a burger, fries, and chocolate milk shake." Martha laughed at his choice. He was so much like John. She stated, "The teenager special. Always a good choice." She called the order to the back. She turned to the counter to prepare the milkshake. Ed lifted the medallion and looked at what was on it. The picture on the first side of the medallion looked like a cock. The writing above the picture said, 'To Find.' While under the picture were the words, 'A Truth.' He flipped the medallion over. The picture on this side was that of a vagina. The writing above the picture said, 'A Lie.' The writing below the picture said, 'To Find.' He stated the words to himself, 'To Find A Truth, A Lie To Find.' He thought about it a moment and realized that it could be in the stated in the other order, 'A Lie To Find, To Find A Truth.' Martha set the milkshake in front of Ed. He took a sip and smiled. He looked up at Martha, "Is this made with homemade ice cream?" Martha shook her head and answered, "I'm afraid not. There's a small ice cream shop nearby. They make their own ice cream. We buy it from them." "It's good. If I had known, I would have ordered a banana split instead of a burger and fries." Martha said with a laugh, "You're just a little boy at heart, aren't you?" "Guilty as charged." "John did a good job of picking a husband." Ed looked surprised. "Thanks." Martha noticed his surprise. "We're coming to the wedding." "Oh. Sorry, John has invited so many people that I don't even know who's coming. He's got people coming in from all over the country." Martha understood. John made friends easily and he remembered them all. She smiled at him. "Well, we were probably just names on a list to you. It's quite understandable." George brought out the burger and fries. They smelled good and Ed's stomach rumbled in response. George laughed and then stated, "Can't use praise from you as a measure of quality. You're too hungry. Anything would taste good to you." Ed took a bite of the burger. It tasted delicious and he made appreciative noises. George smiled and headed into the back. Ed finished the burger and fries in record time. Martha watched with pleasure as Ed finished the milkshake. Ed sat back and stated, "I can understand why John likes this place so much, there's great food and great company in nice surroundings." Martha smiled, "Thank you. Now you had better get out of here. I'm sure that John's very worried about you." "Thanks." Ed settled his bill and left the restaurant. Soon he was driving down the road headed towards the next town. He looked in the mirror and swore. A Sheriff's car was behind him with his lights and siren running. Ed pulled over and got out his driver's license. The Sheriff pulled up behind him and walked towards the driver's side of the car. Ed rolled down the window. The Sheriff came up and asked, "Ed Biggers?" "Yes sir." The Sheriff looked at Ed for a minute and then smiled. "John says to get your ass home." Ed stared at the Sheriff in shock. "Huh?" The Sheriff smiled, "Look, follow me to the store. Go in and do your business. Then get out of here. John's called half the people in this town looking for you." Ed shook his head, "I guess it is nice to have someone worry about you, but this is approaching ridiculous." The Sheriff smiled at Ed. "I take it Martha already told you." "Yes, sir." The Sheriff said, "Okay, follow me and I'll take you to the store." The Sheriff turned and headed to his car before Ed could even answer. He followed behind the Sheriff. They went directly to the store. Ed parked his car and entered the store. It was empty except for a single woman. He asked, "are you Catherine?" The woman nodded. She looked at Ed carefully for a minute. Ed added, "John Carter told me to come here." She asked, "You've been to the woods?" "Yes." "May I see your Medallion?" Ed nodded and pulled it out from under his shirt. She glanced at it and then walked off. She came back with a polished mahogany box. She opened it up and stated, "This is a crystal ball." Ed looked at it. Inside was a crystal ball mounted in a beautiful silver stand. The entire thing was a beautiful work of art. He uttered in an awed voice, "It is beautiful." Catherine smiled to herself. She answered, "Thank you. It is yours." "How much?" "No charge, it is how I serve the Gods." Ed looked at her with understanding. He didn't know what her ordeal had been, but he couldn't imagine that it was a great deal of fun. He looked at the crystal ball, "You do the Gods great honor with the quality of your work." Catherine smiled as she stated, "Thank you again. Now John called and said you were to get home." Ed groaned. He said his good byes and took the box with the crystal ball inside. He exited the building and entered his truck. He headed home dreading the long drive. It was late in the day and would be very late by the time he arrived. He hoped that he would be able to sneak into the house without causing a scene. Of course, odds were that John would know when to expect him. John watched for Ed from the parapet on top of the family house. He wondered if Ed was going to chicken out and stay the night in his house. He decided that it would depend on the degree to which Ed had been changed. He hope that the changes were simple, but he feared that Ed had approached the Gods and Goddesses in a less than friendly manner. He saw the pickup turn into the street. He would be home in a few minutes. John headed to the stairwell. It took him a minute to get down the stairs. He raced to the front door and opened it. Ed pulled up at just that moment. John waited for him to get to the house. Ed sauntered up to the house, "Were you worried about me?" John denied it, "Not really." John's reply had a sour taste that struck Ed with a taste of irritation. He grimaced as he stated, "That's not true. You were really worried about me." John looked at Ed in surprise. "True. I wondered if you were going to live through it. I was convinced you were going there to challenge them." John's words sounded sweet. Ed groaned, "I've just become a human lie detector." Beth and Kelly came out and examined Ed searching for differences. Kelly stated, "You're eyes are gray now." Kelly asked, "Why did you do it?" Beth asked, "What happened to you there?" John answered, "He will not tell you what happened. He decided to do it the night they tried to assassinate me." Ed nodded his head, "You're right John. As always." John said with laugh, "Not as always. I'm wrong quite often." John's words had the sweetness of truth. Ed wondered when he had been wrong. He asked, "So when were you wrong?" John stated, "Oh, I expected Beth to go there." Beth flushed, "How did you know I was planning on doing that?" Ed stared at Beth in wonder. "Why would you do it?" Beth answered, "I lost a lover and went crazy. I'm not going to stand by and lose another one. I was planning to go this time, but you guys scheduled the wedding for this week. So I decided I would go this winter." John stated, "That's why I argued for the date that I did. I was planning to keep everyone busy. I have to admit that Ed surprised me. He's always covered my back and has done a great job at it." Ed frowned, "Right, one time you get shot and killed. Another time, you have to wrestle with a professional assassin in the middle of the night. Both times, I'm not there." Beth added, "And I'm a doctor that could do nothing but patch you up." Kelly asked, "Were you going to take me along with you?" Beth sheepishly answered, "I thought about it, but decided not to do it." "You bitch, don't you think I worry about him too?" Beth answered, "I know you worry about him too. I was afraid of what would happen to you there." Ed emphatically stated, "Neither of you will go there. You have no idea what it is like." John stated, "Ed, you need some tender loving care tonight. Don't you?" Ed nodded. He had been feeling horny ever since leaving the woods. Ed shyly asked, "Could I have each one of you, one at a time?' Kelly laughed, "Let's go to the playroom!" The four of them made their way to the back of the house. They had one room with a floor that was completely padded. In the corner was a cabinet that had sex toys and towels. They considered it the playroom. Clothes came off quickly on entering the room. Ed had undressed with his back to everyone. When he turned around, Kelly squealed in delight. "You've gotten bigger down there." Ed looked down in surprise. He had become as big as John down there. He decided that the Two-sided One had given him a gift that the women would enjoy, but he doubted John would like it. Kelly approached Ed and pressed her body against his. He put his arms around her and gently kissed her. They sank to the floor. Ed kissed her lips, neck, and ears. Gently nibbling on her earlobe, he ran a hand down to caress her breast. He cupped it and stroked it lightly, exciting the nipple to a fully erect state. She reached up and caressed his chest. She knew his nipples were sensitive because of many previous episodes of lovemaking. Their movements became more passionate as feather light touches explored more of their bodies. Soon their legs were entwined. Ed worked his way down her body, kissing her neck working his way to the valley between her breasts. Slipping a nipple into his mouth, he sucked and nipped it. Kelly responded with a blush that worked its way across her chest, signaling her rising excitement. Ed kissed his way down her stomach, pausing at her navel. He then worked his way down to her cunt. The lips were open and waiting for him. Moisture had gathered at the entrance. The unmistakable scent of an excited woman tickled his nose and drove him to greater excitement. He ran his tongue between her lips, savoring the delicate flavor that was Kelly. She moaned as she neared a quick climax. He stuck his tongue into her, sucking juices from deep inside. He moved to tongue her clit, she clamped her legs around his head to keep him in place. He flicked his tongue even more rapidly. She grunted once and then she came flooding his chin with her juices. He moved up her body to where his rigid cock was poised at her cunt. He slowly slipped it in, rocking back and forth, to ease its entry. She wrapped her legs around his ass to pull him into her. The thrusting began slowly, but picked up in speed until their bodies slapped together. She was panting and moaning as waves of pleasure raced through her body. She came with a shudder. He paused to give her a chance to recover and then began again. Quicker than before, she approached another orgasm. As he approached orgasm, his thrusts became harder and deeper. Together, they came with Ed screaming out his pleasure with a roar and Kelly roaring out her pleasure in a scream. Ed rolled off Kelly. They relaxed as the sweat cooled them. Ed looked up at John requesting, "Fuck me in the ass." John smiled and lubed his cock with KY Jelly. Ed rolled over on his hands and knees. Beth helped spread his ass cheeks while John lubed the asshole, working lots of lube into it. He lined his cock up with Ed's asshole and pressed forward gently. Ed pushed back against the cock. It slipped in, stretching the asshole more than was intended by nature. Ed grunted at the initial pain. He relaxed his muscles and pushed back on the cock even more. The cock slipped in past his anal ring. John started to slowly thrust his cock in and out. Ed's pain quickly transformed to pleasure. John started thrusting roughly into Ed. Ed pushed himself back against the thrusts grunting each time. The action became furious. John looked over at Beth and saw her masturbating as she watched the men. The sight was too much for him. He shot his load in a final hard thrust into Ed. He groaned as he came. Ed rolled over onto his back. He was sporting a massive erection. Beth moved over and licked Kelly's juices from his cock. She was so excited that she didn't require any foreplay. She positioned herself over his cock and slowly lowered herself onto it. She sighed as it finally hit bottom. Filled by Ed's cock, Beth started lifting herself up and down as she rocked her hips. Ed's cock rubbed all of the right places inside her. Ed reached down and placed the flat of his thumb against her clit. Her motion changed so that she was rubbing her clit against his thumb. She started flexing her cunt muscles, rocking, and lifting herself. The sweat was pouring off their bodies as Ed lifted Beth with his hips. She was making continual animal noises. He was grunting like a cave man. Beth started squeezing her nipples and then squeezed Ed's nipples. He screamed and came in her. His orgasm triggered hers. She came with a series of animal noises. ------- Chapter 16 The afternoon of the wedding was a hot day, but misters placed strategically on the property helped cool the air where people would gather. The invitations had specified casual dress appropriate for hot weather. Those individuals that chose to wear more formal clothes were told that a coat rack for suit coats was available and that simple t-shirts could be picked up to replace long sleeved shirts. Ed stood at the entrance greeting everyone who came to the wedding. John stood next to him with Beth and Kelly by their sides. When Ed did not like the feel of one of the guests he would turn to John and, with exaggerated formality, introduce the guest to John. This was the clue to the security guards to watch that individual closely throughout the afternoon. Rover and Shadow sat behind John. If they growled at someone, the individual was discretely taken to a remote area for drinks and food. After everyone arrived, those guests were quietly removed from the property. Buses carried guests from the hotels John had reserved. The arrival times of buses were staggered so that no one would have to stand in a long line to enter the property. The personal greetings at the entryway may have slowed entry to the gala event, but it also made everyone feel welcome. Guests were led in small groups to the booths where soda, tea, coffee and water were available. People were told that it was expected that everyone would always have a drink in their hand to prevent excessive water loss. Different bands were scattered about the property. There was a rock and roll group, a jazz band, a country and western group, a classical quartet, a swing band, and the two impersonators of Elvis and Frank Sinatra. People gravitated to the locations where a band played their favorite type of music. Portable toilets were set up discretely around the property. Separate wash basins were in areas that were more public so that those eating ribs and other messy foods could wash their hands. A children's' play area had been set up near the center of the festival. It was staffed with babysitters, playground supervisors, and a private nurse to take care of any bumps or bruises that might occur. There were swings, slides, toy houses, and water slides. Little houses were scattered throughout with lots of toys inside. Only a child could dream of heaven such as this play area represented. To one side of the property was a long line of tents, the site occupied by others that wore the medallion. The medallion holders mingled easily with others at the party, enthralling listeners with tales of their travels and adventures. They made unlikely introductions among other guests, introductions that turned into long lasting friendships or love bonds. Three hours had been set aside for the guests to arrive. At the end of that time, John and Ed closed the gate to the property. The four made their way to the house to quickly shower and change into their wedding clothes. During that time, security people gathered the far-flung guests and then lead them to an area in front of a small stage. The platform contained a small table with a number of objects hidden from view by a simple cloth covering. When most of the people had gathered in front of the stage, Mary Darling explained the wedding ritual they were about to observe. She described the symbolism of the various phases of the ceremony. She identified where the audience was to participate and what they were to do. Her description captured the imaginations of the people gathered there. She brought to life a time when nature ruled the destiny of men rather than stock market analysts. Finally, it was time for the ceremony to begin. A path through the crowd led from the house to the platform. Ed walked the path alone wearing a black robe. When he reached the platform, Kelly walked the path alone wearing a white robe. She was followed by John who wore a gray robe. Finally, Beth made the journey alone in a white robe. They joined hands on the platform. Four individuals had joined to become one. Mary, using a sword, marked a circle around the platform. As the circle was closed, she shouted, "Be gone negative energies." She went around that circle using the sword to mark it a second time. As the second circle was closed, she shouted, "Protect us from negative energies." She went around that circle using the sword to mark it a third time. As the third circle was closed, she shouted, "Make us invisible to those that mean us harm." The area in which the participants in the ceremony stood was now warded against evil and, as such, it had become holy ground. Mary returned to the small table in the center of the platform and removed the cloth covering the items laid upon it. She set the sword on the table behind a large jar of wine. She picked up the wine and held to up to the sky. She called out, "Gods and Goddesses, bless this wine." Setting the jar of wine on the table, she turned to the four gathered in front of her. She asked, "Do you swear before the Gods and Goddesses that you enter into this union of your own free will?" All four of them answered, "Yes." Mary turned to the assembled guests, "Are you willing to swear by the deity that you hold most holy that all have answered yes to this question?" The crowd answered yes in a great roar. Mary nodded, "Then no person may question the decision to be in this marriage!" She asked, "Do you swear before the Gods and Goddesses that you enter into this union to love and be loved?" All four of them answered, "Yes." Mary turned to the assembled guests, "Are you willing to swear by the deity that you hold most holy that all have answered yes to this question?" The crowd answered yes in a greater roar than before. Mary smiled, "Then no person may question the motives behind this marriage!" She then took a silver goblet and poured a small amount of wine into it. She picked up a knife from the table. She held the knife and goblet up in the air for all to see. She stepped to Ed asking him to hold out his hand. Holding the goblet beneath his hand, she jabbed a fingertip with the knife. A few drops of blood ran out of the cut into the goblet below. She then went to Kelly and repeated the process with her. Kelly looked at the cut with disdain, there were better ways to get blood from someone. Mary repeated the process with John and then Beth. The goblet now contained a mixture of wine and the blood from all four of them. Mary returned to the table and poured the wine-blood mixture into the jar from the goblet. She mixed the contents of the wine jar by swirling it around. She then poured a little wine into the goblet from the wine jar. She held up the goblet for all to see. She stated to them, "By drinking the wine in this goblet, you will bind yourself to your mates for a period of one year." She passed the goblet to Ed. Ed took a sip of the wine and swallowed. He handed the goblet back to Mary. Mary went to Kelly and handed the goblet to her. Kelly took a sip of the wine and handed the goblet back to Mary. Kelly smiled at Ed as she swallowed the wine. She could feel a closeness to him that was new. He looked at her as the same feeling entered him. It was then John's turn. As he took his sip, he felt an amazing closeness to Ed and Kelly. They turned to look at him with a glow in their eyes. Mary took the goblet to Beth. Beth took a sip that emptied the goblet. Upon swallowing the wine, it was as if an electric jolt passed through all four. Mary placed the goblet upon the table and waited until the attention of the four returned to her. She stated, "Each year, on the anniversary of this date, you will fill this goblet with the wine from this jug. You renew your joining for another year by taking a sip of wine." She capped the jar of wine and handed it to Ed. Ed held it carefully and gently as if it was a newborn baby. She handed the goblet to Kelly. She stated, "If a person chooses not to renew their role in the joining, then they need not drink of the wine. The others can continue by drinking the wine." She turned to the people gathered, "They are now wed according to our tradition. The duration of their marriage is one year and can be renewed from year to year. Life long commitments stop being acts of love and sharing. Instead, they become duties performed under obligation. Marriage should be based on love and not obligation." She shouted in joy, "Say hello to the clan Carter!" The audience shouted hellos and congratulations. Mary returned to the table and picked up the sword. Traversing the circle three times in the opposite direction, she erased the boundary that had made this sacred ground. Together, the four went to the house to spend a few minutes together. In the house, Kelly turned to the others, "That was so intense!" Beth was glowing, "My goodness, I had dreamed of a normal marriage ceremony with the white dress, the church, the rice, and all that stuff. I'll never regret having this one instead." "We got to wear white!" John laughed, "You wore white because you are not yet an initiate. I wore gray because I serve the Gods and the Goddesses. Ed wore black because he serves the Two-sided One. Those that serve the God wear Red while those that serve the Goddess wear Green. Initiates wear blue." Ed asked, "You aren't the first one to wear gray?" John stated, "Mary added gray to the colors to handle just this case." Kelly gushed, "I love all of you so much that I can hardly stand it." John smiled, "We shared our souls with each other today. That is the true wellspring of love." Ed laughed, "I feel as though I will never be alone again." Beth, with tears of joy in her eyes, stated, "We are truly one now." "Now we must change clothes and mingle with our guests. If I may make a suggestion, Ed. You may want to talk with the others who wear the medallion. You are the only servant of the Two-sided One present today. The other is a seer and has avoided me since the first time we met. I believe that he has a prophecy that I am not to hear until the time is right." They changed their clothes and headed outdoors to chat with guests. The four split to be able to handle more guests at the same time. John went to the area where the swing band was playing. He expected to meet Mrs. South and her boyfriend over in that area. Ed went to where the country and western music was playing. He thought that the majority of townspeople would be there. Kelly headed towards the rock and roll band to talk with some of the younger attendees. Beth went in the direction of the Jazz band. As John wandered over to the Swing Band, he looked at the faces of people. The majority of them were having a great time. Once the ceremony had ended, the food was served. People were seated around tables eating all kinds of food. John stood in the line with the Bar-B-Que to get a steak, baked sweet potato and corn on the cob. When it was his turn to get served, he was surprised by the sudden appearance of Rover rubbing his leg. He reached down and scratched the cat behind the ears. The server, not knowing John, asked, "What would you like, sir?" John answered with a smile, "I'll have a medium-rare steak and two raw steaks for my friend here." The man was about to argue, but then glanced down and saw Rover. He gulped, "Yes, sir. One medium-rare and two raw." He fetched two plates. On one, he put the medium-rare steak. On the other, he put the two raw steaks. John took them both and headed over to where the vegetables were being served. One of the townspeople saw him struggling as he tried to hold two plates and put food on one of them. The man came over and helped John out by dishing out the vegetables on his plate. John thanked him and headed over to one of the tables. He saw Mrs. South, Mr. Jensen, Beth's parents, and Sherry seated together. He changed course and joined them at their table. John set his plate down on the table. He then bent down and set the plate with two raw steaks on the ground. Rover went to the plate, picked up a steak and trotted off to eat it in private. John seated himself at the table, "Hello everyone. I'm so glad you could make it here." Mr. Jensen answered, "We wouldn't have missed it for the world. Vicki's been so excited that she didn't even think about sex this morning." Mrs. South laughed, "What do you mean? I woke you with a blowjob this morning." "And why were we on time? You didn't want a nooner coming down here!" John looked over at Beth's parents. Their faces showed a little shock at the discussion between the two. He greeted them, "Hello, Dr. and Mrs. Hayes. I hope you found the room comfortable." Mrs. Hayes responded, "Oh yes, it was quite comfortable. I can't believe it is for the staff. It is very spacious." Dr. Hayes added, "That house must have cost a fortune." John shrugged as he stated, "Your daughter deserves the best. I could do no less than that." Mrs. Hayes leaned forward, "I have never seen my daughter this happy. She loves you a lot. I have to know, do you love her too?" John answered, "Your daughter is one of the two most loved women in the world. She has two husbands that love and adore her. She has a wife that loves her very much." Dr. Hayes sat back with narrowed eyes, "Who is the other most loved woman?" John smiled. "Our wife, Kelly. Believe me when I say that Beth loves Kelly as much as she loves me and Ed." "I just don't quite understand that." Sherry answered, "Love is giving and not taking. Those four know how to give more than any other people I've ever met. None of the people here is solely a business partner. They are all friends. Think of it, a thousand friends, many of whom were willing to travel to be here. They love each other with a depth that is awe inspiring." Dr. Hayes examined Sherry. Unlike many men, he saw through her physical characteristics to the woman beneath. He could tell that she was an objective observer that was telling it as she saw it. Mrs. South stated, "I think you need to spend a little time with John alone. He rented a room from me for several years and I got to know him well. He is the most unusual man that I've met in my whole life. Believe me when I say that. I've met many men in my time. John sees the essential nature of the people around him." At that moment, Harry, the EMS man from Austin, arrived at the table. He shouted, "Hey Hero! That was such a lovely ceremony. I must say you've picked quite a nice family." John smiled and shook his head. He stated, "Harry, if you want to give me a wedding present, you'll start calling me John!" "Sorry Hero. Calling you John would just seem disrespectful." John said with a laugh, "Okay. I'd like you to meet Mrs. South and Mr. Jensen. They both live in Austin. She was my landlord. The other couple there is Dr. and Mrs. Hayes. They are Beth's parents. The lovely lady there is Sherry. Everyone, this is Harry." John was bumped from behind. He looked back and he saw that Shadow was behind him. Shadow picked up the second raw steak and trotted off with it. John looked around and saw that Rover was back to walking the edge of the property. Apparently, the cats were taking turns eating. He then noticed that the bear and the wolf were also walking the property line. Looking again at Shadow reminded John of the food on his plate and he dug in as Harry started telling tales about John. John, for his part, concentrated on eating. Occasionally, he would look up and tell everyone that Harry was exaggerating again. Mrs. South undermined his efforts and would chime in with other details about this adventure or that adventure. He looked over at Dr. Hayes, when Harry told the story about his being burnt and Mrs. South added more details about his activities in the burn unit. Dr. Hayes was looking at John in a different way than before. It took a minute for John to remember that he was a doctor and knew what a burn ward was like. Dr. Hayes asked, "John, is it true that you read to the children in the burn ward every weekend when you were in Austin?" "Yes, for the most part. Look, they're children. It doesn't matter what they look like. They are children and like things that other children like. If I read them a story or play Hunt The Bug Eyed Monsters with them, they get to feel like children again. They laugh, giggle, and smile like every other child. A wonderful man, who is here I believe, took over for me. He reads to them every morning. He's special because he does it for them." Dr. Hayes stated, "I'm impressed. If nothing else convinces me you are a good man, that does." John shook his head, "Don't be impressed. I was in the right place at the right. Thousands of other people would have done the same." John looked down at his plate and realized that he had eaten everything on it. He looked up. "I guess I had better mingle some more. We've got close to a thousand guests here and I would like to say a few words with everyone." Everyone stated his or her good byes. Beth's parents said they would see him tonight after everything was over. They were staying in the house for the week so that everyone could meet everyone else. John walked away waving to them as he left. Harry continued to talk about John. John ran into many people from town as he walked around. The majority of them wished him well in his marriage. A few were having problems understanding how four people could love each other. He answered their questions to the best of his ability. He told them that they didn't have to accept the marriage, but he hoped they would continue to respect the individuals within it. He suggested that every person coped with the hardships of life the best that they could. The four of them found this would allow them to cope. One guest, followed closely by a security person, saw John and headed straight for him. He stated, "You're so rich that you think you can get away with anything. You're wrong. What you're doing with this marriage is sick! When you die, you are going straight to hell." John got a very serious look on his face. He replied, "I have died twice." The man reeled back, "Huh?" "Yes, I have died twice. The first time was ten years ago and the last time was a year ago. If you are interested, I will tell a little secret that I learned when I died." "I'm interested." "The difference between going to heaven and hell is knowing how to love. If you know how to love and love the people around you, then you will get into heaven. Anything less than that will lead you straight to hell. You do not have to take that on faith, it is fact." John paused, "I tell you this because there are people that want to love you and you are blind to it. You shall see them when you learn to give of yourself. When you can do that, heaven is all yours." John walked away leaving the man staring at his back. John knew the man and was aware of how lonely his life had been. He greeted the world with hostility as a way to protect himself from being hurt. John did not know what event in the guys early life had hurt him so much, but the man had shut himself off from all happiness. John continued to walk around. He was near the classical quartet when he noticed Mary, the young girl that he had saved from a fire, sitting alone. He could see that she was lonely and used her scars to prevent people from getting too close. He approached her and sat down next to her. "Wonderful music isn't it?" "Oh, yes. I guess it is odd for a girl my age to enjoy classical music, but I do," replied Mary. She had spent the past few years learning to play the piano. Since her teacher was classically trained, she had forced the same kind of music upon Mary. Rather than resenting it, Mary had come to appreciate it. John was wondering how to introduce Mary to people that would see the inner person when Rover joined them. He introduced Mary to Rover. Mary was amazed to be able to pet such a big cat. They chatted a little while before John suggested, "Rover seems to like you a lot. Why don't you go with him and introduce yourself to some of his friends?" Mary looked at John as if he were crazy. "He's going to take me around to people?" John smiled at Mary. "He has very discerning taste in people. If he takes you to a person, then you know they have a good soul." "Really?" "Yes, really. Just remember that not all scars are on the outside. Some have been wounded as deeply as you. If you get past their pain, you will find a heart bursting with the desire to love. Just as a person that gets past your scars finds a heart that desires to love and be loved." "I will go with Rover." Mary, tired of being alone, followed Rover away from where she had been seated. John watched the pair walk away. Rover was leading her to the swing area. He guessed that Rover was taking her to met Sherry. There were times when Rover really amazed him and this was one of those times. John wandered around the grounds chatting with people that he knew while introducing himself to those he didn't know. Most of the people that he didn't know were childhood friends of Kelly or Beth, colleagues of Ed, and relatives of the other three. He met Kelly's parents for the first time. They were hippies in the '60s and lived in a commune when Kelly was eight. Her desire for a group marriage was fueled by the time spent living in the commune. As a child, it had been a very happy time having adults and kids around that were always willing to play. His conversation with Kelly's parents was cut short by a loud roar from the side of the property. He recognized it as the roar of an enraged grizzly and he knew that meant Smoky had found someone entering the property without invitation. He ran over to where the bear stood over a man prostrate on the ground. The bear would occasionally growl at the man, who shook in fear. John walked up to the scene and examined the man. There was a gun on the ground next to him. John knelt down, "Should I let the bear kill you?" The guy was too scared to answer. He shook and cried at the sight of the bear standing over him. One of the security guards arrived. John shook his head, "I should let the bear kill you, but I'll let you live." The security guard looked down and put handcuffs on the man. He led the man away to a holding area that had been set up for that purpose. As the guard left, John became aware of the growling of a large cat. He headed off in that direction. He came around the side of the house in time to see one of the guards handcuffing another individual. Rover sat nearby watching the man being subdued. John looked around the area to see where Shadow and Moony were. He quickly found Moony trotting along the back of the property. That meant Shadow must have been in the front. He ran around to the front of the house and saw a black shape lying on the ground. He ran to the shape and knelt down beside it. A tranquilizer dart was sticking in the shoulder of the big cat. John pulled the dart out and checked the cat. He swore, as that meant one other man had breached their security. He called for security guards and three of them came running. Ed was with them. John looked at Ed, "He's not dead. Let's get him in the house." Ed looked around, "Where did the guy go that did this?" "I don't know," replied John. He pointed to one of the security guards, "get the word out that we have an intruder." The three men then struggled to carry Shadow to the house. Carrying a 180-pound drugged cat is not as easy as it sounds. At the door, John stopped and signaled that they should set the cat down. John and Ed approached the front door and noticed that it was slightly open. They charged in and fell to the floor as their feet flew out from under them. The floor was covered in blood and it was that which had caused them to fall. Tiger was sitting next to them calmly cleaning his paws. The intruder was dead on the floor. John looked at Tiger, "You did a good job, Tiger." Ed told the security guard to get the police chief as quickly as possible. Within a minute, three of the local policemen had arrived. They were followed by Ann, from the FBI. Everyone stood around the body. There wasn't any doubt as to the cause of death, Tiger had ripped the guys throat out. The fact that they found two guns on the man suggested that he didn't have the best intentions. John and Ed carried Shadow into the house. Tiger went and sat next to the big cat watching it carefully. They double-checked the cat to make sure that it was all right. They couldn't do much, except let it sleep. Robert White Feather entered the room and looked at the body. He walked around the room carefully looking at all of the details. He knelt down next to the body and examined it for a minute. He looked up, "He picked the lock and entered. The cat was above and pounced down on him. Once the man was down, the cat bit through his neck. Very clean kill." Robert stood up. The police chief turned to John, "I see no reason to press charges against the cat. We'll take a few pictures and then get the body out of here. I'll let you know when you can clean up the blood." John looked at Ed and the police chief, "We captured two others alive as they crossed into the property. We have them in the holding area. I suggest that the three of us go over there and question them." The questioning went on for about an hour. Ed knew when the men were lying and when they were telling the truth. The truth boiled down to the fact that three men had been hired by a Hispanic man to kill John. The arrangements had been made by an intermediary. The only surprising fact was that all three men were Russian. John and Ed returned to the house and quickly cleaned up the blood. They changed their clothes and returned to the front of the house to examine it one more time. Robert was standing there. He turned to John, "Grandfather would like to meet you some time." John turned to Robert with a raised eyebrow, "Is he in a hurry?" "No." John stated, "We will meet." Robert shrugged, "Should I tell him when you'll come?" John replied, "I'll be there when I get there." Robert looked at John and nodded. He walked off thinking to himself that John was not like any other white man he had encountered. Most would tell him they would be there a week from Thursday at two in the afternoon. John replied like a fellow member of his tribe. It was odd. John and Ed returned to the party after checking on Shadow and locking the front door. It was getting dark and the lights were turned on. John wandered around the party, and was pleased when he spotted Mary. She was sitting with Sidney and the man that had harassed him earlier. He was happy to see her smiling and laughing with the two men. Her scars appeared to have been forgotten for the moment. John joined them after grabbing an iced tea and a plate of tacos. The man at the table extended a hand, "I'm Edward. I have to apologize about what I said to you earlier." John shook his head, "No need to apologize for stating what you think. I was not offended." Mary asked, "Edward, did you argue with John?" "Yes, I did." Mary stated, "He must cheat because he never looses an argument." Sidney argued, "He might never lose because he only argues when he knows the right answer." Mary answered with a laugh, "Well, he sure had me pegged the first time I met him after getting burned. In fact, he was right today. I've been here for a couple of hours talking and Sidney never noticed my scars." "I'm blind," answered Sidney. "Really?" asked Edward. He added, "I guess that explains Missy." Sidney laughed and shook his head. "I wondered if you thought Missy was the blind one and I was doing the leading." John interjected, "It sounds to me like you are getting along fine." Mary put a hand on John's arm and leaned over to whisper in his ear, "I'm doing great. They've both asked me out. We're going on a double date - those two and me. Thank you John." John patted her hand. He whispered back in a joking manner, "You're quite welcome Mary. Find another girl and you'll have a family just like me." Mary sat back with a speculative look in her eye. John noticed the direction in which her thoughts ran and leaned towards her, "You see that man over there with the strange hat? He's a finder. You might talk to him and see if he can find what you need." ------- Chapter 17 The yard was a mess. Paper plates, cans, bottles, and assorted trash littered the yard. The caterers were packing up their equipment, the rental agencies were picking up the tables and chairs, and the security guards were watching the activities. John's plans had been very complete with no complaints from the guests. The only thing that he had overlooked was the cleanup the next day. He should have realized that a thousand guests would leave a lot of trash behind. He wondered what he would do about it, five acres of land to pick up was quite a lot. The animals were relaxing after a hard day of work. Shadow, recovered from his encounter with the intruder, was full of energy. The animals had knocked over one of the trashcans and were batting it around the yard in play. The bear would bat it a long distance and the cats would chase after it. The wolf would run around it. In a way, it was odd to watch the animals play without making noise. There were no barks, growls, or roars. The camp where the other medallion wearers were staying was coming to life in the early morning. John watched with amusement as half of the medallion wearers exited their tents naked. He smiled at the realization that there had been a lot of tent hopping last night as people exited from tents that were not theirs. Some of the people exiting the tents weren't Druids. Clearly, John was not exceptional in being a randy pagan and being a pagan wasn't all that was required to be randy. John watched as Jerry Smith spotted him. Jerry called out something that John could not hear, but a half dozen of the others joined him. Together, they walked over to where John was standing. Since most of them were naked, their passage caused more than a little excitement among the caterers. John walked towards them so that they met halfway. A woman caterer blushed and ran away from the area. The group watched her leave in amusement. Jerry Smith broke the silence, "I understand that somebody tried to kill you yesterday." "True. We had a rather complete security program in place. They never got close." One of the others asked, "This wasn't the first attempt, was it?" "No. There was another attempt no too long ago." Jerry stated, "We that serve the God intend to help you end the threat." John nodded as he stated, "We have a sting operation that is getting put into place. The idea is to entice the person behind this out of Mexico and into the States where we can arrest him." Jerry looked out across the field. Doing it John's way could take a year and he wanted it over quicker than that. He turned to John, "Who is it?" "Alberto Rodriguez," replied John. "He's in Mexico City." At the urging of others, John filled them in on all of the details about Alberto Rodriguez that he had unearthed. He covered some of the known relationships of abducted individuals with powerful people. Several were well connected to South American people of significant influence, many of them were criminals. Jerry turned to look at the others that had walked over with him. One by one, each nodded. He turned back to face John. "You won't need to worry about him." John asked, "Are you going to assassinate him?" Jerry shot John a nasty look, "Of course not. We advise certain people that he represents a threat and then suddenly he is no longer a threat. If necessary, we shall tell them how to deal with him. Druids only fight in self-defense. Other than that, we are advisors." One of the other men suggested, "You should learn that lesson a little better John. Maybe you will stop getting killed." John nodded. He had not thought about that. As a rescuer, he had to be intimately involved. Perhaps using his strength meant directing others rather than requiring him to muscle his way through. He answered, "You are right." Jerry asked, "Who do the assassin's work for?" John stated, "They are Russian. Looks like they belong to the Russian Mafia." Jerry turned back to the others. Most of them shook their heads. Two nodded. Jerry asked one of the ones that nodded, "Why?" "We have to teach them that you don't fuck with a Druid," replied the man. He added, "They are stronger than us. We have to find a way to use that strength against them." Jerry nodded, "I agree with you Sean." John interrupted, "Allow me to handle them. I have the FBI that I can call upon." Jerry nodded, "We'll hit them from all sides. You use the Feds while we to use other criminal elements." Sean asked, "Can I give them the word that we are coming after them?" Jerry smiled. He suspected there was a little bad blood there. "Sure. Make sure that you tell them why." John nodded, "Good, then we act. The sooner the better." Jerry laughed, "When we are done, no one will ever accept a hit on a Druid again." Sean stated, "Okay. I'll head over to the jail and talk to the prisoners. Find out the particular Russian group for whom they work. Then I'll head up to little Russia in New York." Jerry nodded, "I'll head down to Mexico City. Give me about three days to get things set up there." A couple of others nodded their heads in agreement. Then, as a group, all of them left but Jerry. Jerry looked at John, "John, you've done some good work. You need to let us know when you need help. I know that you serve the God and the Goddess, but that doesn't mean you have to do everything alone." John answered, "I guess. Saving people for the Goddess was a solitary activity." Jerry countered, "No it wasn't. Didn't you assemble a team to help with the earthquake?" "Yes, I did. I didn't think about that." Jerry stated, "There is one thing that you have to remember. We serve the Gods and Goddesses. In their service, we serve humanity. When someone kills one of us, then humanity is harmed. We must protect ourselves for the sake of the people we would save." John thought about that. If he had been killed then who would have saved the people that were victims of the white slavery ring. They were still tracking down some of the people who had been sold from previous abductions. While fifty victims saved from a life of sexual slavery may not sound like much, it was important to them. They had found four people that had purchased slaves and killed them in the course of using them. Many sick people had been locked away because of his efforts. John stated, "I'm not that important, but I will call upon you when I'm in trouble." Jerry laughed at the statement. "Not that important? Don't you know that you are the nominal head of the Druids." John stepped back in horror. "What do you mean?" "You serve a God and a Goddess. No one else has achieved that distinction. You are the head of both groups. Only two Druids are not required to treat you as a brother. The first is Harry and the other is Ed. They serve the Two-side One." "Oh." Jerry studied John for a moment. He stated, "You really didn't know that?" "No." Jerry laughed and then stated, "You have displayed excellent leadership skills already." "What did I do?" "Nothing," replied Jerry. He laughed as he added, "In my book, that makes an excellent leader." John smiled at the joke. "Wait until I start thinking up things for you to do." Jerry turned and walked away. He shouted over his shoulder, "That's my cue to get out of here. Mom Smith didn't raise a fool!" John returned to the house. He figured that everyone would be awake by now and it would be time for breakfast. He would use that time to get an opinion as to how to get the yard cleaned up. The three cats joined him as he walked. He glanced at Shadow, pleased to see the cat up and about so well this morning. At the house, he entered the back door. He stopped and looked at the atrium with its plants, stream, and water fountain. In a few days time, they would add fish and frogs to the stream. Several small paths threaded though the plants, all ending at a bench in the center. He wondered if he should add lizards and other animals to the area. He mentally counted heads and came up with eighteen people to feed. He reached the large kitchen and looked around. The chef hired to stock the kitchen had done a very good job. He decided that a simple breakfast would have to do. He would create a buffet breakfast using the food warmers that he found on the shelf. He started by making pancakes once he found a griddle large enough to make eighteen small pancakes at a time. He quickly filled a food warmer with enough pancakes to feed most people there. He then made scrambled eggs. He had never tried to scramble three dozen eggs before. It took a lot more time than he thought it would. Mrs. Hayes entered the kitchen wearing an exercise outfit. She looked at what John was doing and volunteered to make set out the plates and silverware. John told her that she would have to find it herself, because he had no idea where they were kept in this kitchen. They were joined by Mrs. South and Mr. Jensen, who volunteered to make toast and get out the juice. Beth entered the kitchen and started brewing the coffee in the monster coffee maker she found in one of the cabinets. Her mother finished putting out the plates and silverware. She carried out the food warmer with the pancakes out of the kitchen after giving a brief good morning to her daughter. Ed stumbled into the room in his normal morning haze. He looked around and grumbled, "Oh my, I'm surrounded by morning people." John laughed, "Go wake up Kelly." Ed stumbled out of the room. His departure was the subject of laughter. Those that knew Ed well expected nothing less. Beth's mother raised an eyebrow in Beth's direction. Beth shrugged, "You should see him at night!" The eggs were finally scrambled and John put them in another food warmer. Beth's mother quickly carried it out. John went to the refrigerator. He took out the butter, an open jar of salsa, and maple syrup. He went to the pantry where he found various jams, honey, and powdered sugar. He pulled them out and carried them into the dining room. The coffee was soon ready and the pot was carried out to the dining room. He stepped back and looked at the breakfast. There was something missing. He realized he had forgotten to cook bacon and sausage. He went back into the kitchen only to find Kelly's father cooking the bacon and sausage at a different stove. The breakfast was soon ready. Everyone went into the dining room and formed a line in front of the food. John was the last in line. He loaded his plate with pancakes, eggs, and sausage. After putting salsa on the eggs and fixing the pancakes with butter and powdered sugar, he joined every one else at the table. He had hardly sat down before he realized he had forgotten to get coffee. It took him half a minute to get a cup and return to the table. By the time he had settled himself, the conversation was flowing easily around the room. John watched with interest as more people came down to the dining room and piled plates full of food. He kept an eye on the quantities of food in case he had to cook more. His attention was immediately grabbed with the arrival of Davie. Of course, the older Davie wanted to be called David. "Hello David. Did you have a good time yesterday?" David smiled, "I sure did. I met a real nice girl yesterday. Mom and Dad are going to take me to the hotel so we can swim in the pool there." "Who's the lucky lady?" "Her name is Karla. She's an artist." John knew Karla very well. She was about a year older than David. John thought to warn him, "You know that Karla was burned as a kid, don't you?" David smiled, "I know. She showed me her legs. I told her the more leg she showed, the more interesting the sight." Jenny looked at her son in shock, "You didn't!" "I did, she thought it was funny. We laugh a lot." John laughed at the slightly embarrassed look on David's face. "That sounds like the Karla I know. She normally hides her burns. You must have really made a real impression on her." David blushed as he stated, "She's really pretty. She did a picture of you." John remembered the first pictures she had done for him. It was of her and all the kids in the burn unit. She had worked so hard to make it look good. Nurse Betty had told him how many attempts she had made before she had one that pleased her enough to give it to him. He still had the picture hanging on the wall in his bedroom. He asked, "So what else did you do yesterday?" "She and I taught some of the kids how to play Hunt The Bug Eyed Monsters. I was so surprised when I found out that she knew how to play that game. She told me you taught her how to play it." John laughed, "Yes, it was a big hit in the children's burn unit. They could all play that game no matter how much they were hurt." David frowned, "That's what she said. It hurts me to think that there are kids out there that can't run and play. Maybe I ought to start visiting hospitals and teaching other kids the game." Dr. Hayes had arrived towards the tail end of the conversation. He looked at David for a minute and stated, "A lot of those kids are very horrible looking." David frowned at the implications that he would be disgusted. He asked, "They're still kids aren't they?" Mr. Hayes glanced at John for a second, "You're right and I apologize to you for my comment. They're still kids. They like to play games. Of course, most of them play video games today." David stated with a laugh, "Yes, but some things never change. Kids still like to play together and you can't do that with a video game." John looked at David with pride, "You're a good kid, David. You do your mother and father proud." David blushed, "Thank you, Uncle John." Dr. Hayes turned to see Ed enter the room with Kelly. They poured themselves some coffee and joined John and Beth at the table. Kelly, Beth, and John watched Ed concentrate on drinking his coffee. Beth turned to her parents with an impish smile, "Ed is a dynamo first thing in the morning." Her mother answered, "How long does it take him to wake up?" Ed grunted, "Two cups, ma'am." Kelly laughed and stated, "This is when I love him the most. He's just a big grumpy teddy bear. He grumbles, grunts, and groans, but he never does anything mean." Dr. Hayes stated, "I don't understand what you see in him. He doesn't even say much." Ed looked up at Dr. Hayes. He could hear the truth in the man's words, Beth's father didn't like him. Ed answered, "It is better if I say little and if most people don't talk to me." "Why? Are you slow or something?" "Something," replied Ed. John stood up for his husband by explaining, "Ed knows when people lie. He can't tell a lie without experiencing significant pain." Dr. Hayes replied, "Bull." Kelly, more than a little pissed, stated, "Try telling him a mix of facts and fiction. He'll tell you which is which." "My middle name is Harold." "False." "My pager number is 111-555-1234" "True." "The name of my first dog was Spot." "False, you never had a dog." "How did you know that?" asked a shocked Dr. Hayes. "The lie started at dog," replied Ed. Ed looked up, "Of course, you could believe that Beth told me all that stuff and I have a perfect memory. Try coming up with something that only you would know." "I got my first kiss in a park." "True." "I had my first sexual experience in the back seat of a car." "True." "The girls name was Sue." "False," Ed answered. He looked at Dr. Hayes and stated, "I think you might want to stop at this point." Dr. Hayes looked at Ed. He decided that he didn't want to follow up on that. He stated, "that's a remarkable ability." "Both a blessing and a curse," replied Ed. Dr. Hayes stated, "So what do you think Beth sees in you?" Ed thought about it for a moment. No answer could actually be complete, but he decided to answer it the best he could. He stated, "I think she knows that I will do anything to assure her happiness. She sees me as I am, but she likes me despite my faults." Beth interjected, "You are too modest. I will always remember you and John running into that collapsing building and coming out a few seconds later carrying that woman out. I knew at that moment that you and him worked as hard to save people from injury as I work as saving them after their injuries. You are both heroes." "When was this?" Beth answered her father, "we were in California during the earthquake. John and Ed pulled people out of collapsed buildings while Kelly and I patched them up the best that we could. The press said that they had saved more than three hundred people that day." "You were the people on the news?" "Yes, we were the people on the news daddy." "Wow, you guys accumulated a lot of good karma that day!" Kelly's mother was excited by the whole idea. John shook his head, "No, there were so many that we didn't get to in time." "Yes, too many," agreed Ed with a sign. He shuddered at the memory. "I almost stopped after seeing too many dead people, but John reminded me that we were there to save the living. His words allowed me to continue on." Dr. Hayes stated, "it always hurts when you lose one. I don't think I would like a person that it didn't pain to see death up close and personal like that." Ed smiled at the full ring of truth in the words that Dr. Hayes had uttered. He stated, "You speak with great conviction. I am glad that we can agree on that." Beth stated, "Daddy, would you mind giving John and Ed a full checkup?" "Well, I don't really have the facilities here for that." Beth smiled, "I do. We have a full private hospital here. Their charts are in the room. I'm sure John and Ed will be glad to take you to it." John looked around and noticed that all of them had finished their breakfast. He nodded, "Of course, please follow me." Dr. Hayes followed John and Ed to the back of the house and to the clinic that Beth had set up. He looked around the room and whistled as he took in all of the equipment she had installed. He realized that it was set up to enable full surgical procedures to be performed. He asked, "Why the extensive set up here?" John replied, "It isn't necessary, but Beth felt that she wanted to be able to take care of any problems that might arise." "What kind of problems?" Ed answered, "If the assassins had been successful yesterday, she would have been able to perform the surgery to save John or me." Dr. Hayes looked incredulous at Ed. His voice cracked as he asked, "Assassins?" John replied, "Yes. Tiger killed one of them in the house and the other two were caught outside. They are currently in jail." "You're kidding, aren't you?" "No. They were hired by a man associated with the white slavery ring that we brought down." "White slavery ring?" Ed stated, "Yes. They killed John and wounded me. Fortunately, John survived his death." John added, "It's all in our medical histories over there on the wall." Dr. Hayes raised an eyebrow. He decided to get on with the checkup. He would check out their story later. "Why don't you get undressed?" John and Ed both removed their clothes while Dr. Hayes read Ed's chart. He turned and looked at the two men. His jaw dropped to the ground when he looked at the mass of scars on John. He regained his composure and started examining Ed. He examined the scars and compared them to the documentation in the medical history. He was surprised that Ed's story was collaborated in terms of the injuries sustained in the medical history. After taking temperature, pulse, and blood pressure, he went on to the more detailed tests for reflexes, lung capacity, prostate health, and a stress test. He was shocked at the state of health for a man his age. He noted his findings and put Ed's folder back onto the wall. He opened Johns folder. It was fat with hundreds of pages worth of notes. The first entry in which it stated that he had died during surgery surprised him. The release date was also quite surprising. He then went through each injury suffered by John. He was shocked by the size of the burn scare and the short time spent in the burn ward. When he reached the last occasion in which John had died during surgery, he shook his head in disbelief. John had been clinically declared dead. He went through the same procedure with John that he had followed with Ed. Again, this guy was in great shape for someone his age. John asked, "So Dr. Hayes, are we in good health?" "You have the muscle tone, fat reserves, and heart of an eighteen year old male. Your body is in outstanding shape, especially considering all of the things that you've been through." Ed stated, "Beth will be pleased to hear that." Dr. Hayes asked, "Aren't you afraid that the dangerous lifestyle that you lead endangers the life of my daughter?" John nodded, "Of course, that's why I've taken the steps that I have. I've done everything possible to remove as much of that danger as I can." Dr. Hayes asked, "And what steps have you taken?" "By this evening, the middle man who provided the assassins will have been visited by the FBI, IRS, INS, ATF, and, quite possibly, the CIA. After that, they will get a visit by a Russian Law Enforcement Agency as part of an international criminal investigation. The entire organization will be taken apart by tomorrow evening. The word is being spread to similar individuals that this is the consequence of attacking a Druid." Dr. Hayes looked at John as if he was crazy. "Nothing happens that quickly." John stated, "You may not be aware of several facts. He attacked here when the head of the FBI, the Governor of Utah, a state senator from Colorado, and several members of the Secret Service were all in attendance. The head of the FBI and the Governor are both staying here in rooms next to yours." "In three days time, the person that put out the contract will no longer be in a position to try again. One of the women abducted into slavery was a good friend of the daughter of a well-known Colombian drug lord. An agent is going to interview the drug lord and ask questions concerning the villain behind the assassination attempts. I, personally, expect him to turn himself in to American authorities rather quickly. Others expect a different outcome." "Jesus, you know how to play rough." John shook his head, "It wasn't my idea. The other Druids decided this morning that they want to send a message to organized crime that Druids are off limits." Ed asked, "Are you convinced that your daughter made the biggest mistake of her life by marrying us?" "I don't know." "Truth. Will you at least reassure your daughter that you'll accept her decision?" "Yes." Ed sighed at the empty ring of the yes. "Please do it when I'm not around." John wasn't listening as he had a sudden idea. He would call the high school and promise to donate a hundred dollars to the band, football team, and the school clubs for every bag of trash they picked up. That would get rid of the trash in the yard and help out the school. He sighed, at least one good thing would come out of this day. ------- Chapter 18 John stared at the black three-inch binder as if it were some sort of poisonous snake. Nine months of work distilled down to four hundred pages of documents separated into twenty-two chapters. One chapter was the introduction which gave a high level view of the document. Twenty chapters laid out an action plan for the twenty largest cities in the country. The final chapter was the conclusion detailing the consequences of following the program laid out in the rest of the document. This binder was the executive summary intended for three people to read. There were twenty boxes of additional material to go along with the binder. The boxes were in storage at his house in a safe. Each box contained a set of sealed envelopes with orders addressed to specific agents. Inside an envelope were detailed instructions identifying where they were to go, when they were to be there, and what they were to do. On the cover of each envelope was the name of the agent for whom it was intended and a time at which it was to be opened. The essential element of his plan was secrecy. It was targeted at removing a number of leaks within the FBI and local police while avoiding judges known to be in the payroll of organized crime. Once the plan was put into effect, organized crime would have lost hundreds of millions of dollars. Hundreds of crack houses would be out of commission. Several dozen middle-level drug dealers would be removed from the streets. Three dozen fencing operations would be shutdown and the goods confiscated. Several credit card fraud farms would be eliminated. Four banks that provided money-laundering services would be raided and essential people arrested. The goal was to remove an entire tier of the organizations thereby forcing higher level leadership to get dirty. The exposure would make it easier to catch them committing a crime. John wrapped the binder in bubble wrap and set it inside a box. It was a snug fit. He sealed the box with packing tape and then wrapped the box in brown paper. He wrote a single name and address on the paper. His part in this whole effort was nearly done. He turned to Ed, "Bring him in, please." "Sure thing," replied Ed with a twinkle in his eye. He knew this was an important moment. He opened the door and leaned out. With a single gesture, he beckoned the man waiting in the hall into the office. The nondescript man entered the room without saying a word. Everything about this man was average. He was of average height and weight. His dull brown hair was styled in a simple hairstyle. He was middle aged with the slight paunch that was common among men his age. Even his speech had the standard Midwestern accent. Ed stated, "Do you know what you are to do?" "Yes." The courier was telling the truth. At a nod from Ed, John pushed the package across the desk. "This is to be delivered to Mike Holden at the FBI building in Washington DC by three tomorrow." "I'll be there." Ed nodded again. John stated, "You can go now. I'll have need of your services in five days." The man left the office carrying the package. Ed shut the door behind him. Turning to John he stated, "I'm glad that is gone. It will be good to avenge Sean's death." "I agree." John went to the computer, removed the disk drives from the computer, and put them into his brief case. He added, "I'll be glad to get these drives into the safe at home." Ed stated, "We have four days off. What do you want to do with them?" John smiled, "I want to pamper the women for most of it. We haven't been home in two days and I'd like to make it up to them." "Excellent idea." "If we go straight home, we can drop this off and come back to town to get some presents for them. We'll be home before they get off from work." "Let's go!" John, Ed, and Rover left the office. They stopped at the receptionist, "We're leaving now. We won't be back for four days." "Hold on. Ann wants to see you before you leave." The receptionist picked up the telephone and dialed Ann's extension. After a pause, she stated, "They're leaving." Ann came running out of her office. As she entered the reception area, she demanded, "Tell me what you are working on." John calmly looked at her. "No." Ann froze, "What do you mean, no?" Ed answered, "I think he meant he wasn't going to tell you what he's working on." Ann glared at Ed for his restatement of the obvious. Her question was intended for them to explain the answer. "I'm the head of this office. If you sent something out of this office, I should know about it." "Generally, that's true. However, in this case I can't tell you." Ann exploded, "Get out of here!" Ed smiled, "That's what we were intending to do." The three exited the office leaving behind them an infuriated Ann. She stormed off to call Mike Holden. John had walked the border on just this side of proper behavior, but he had leapt across that line over the past nine months. Ed was just as bad. One day he comes in and flashes Treasury Agent identification. She knew that he was a full time student at the university. John drove them directly home. They went straight to the safe and locked up the briefcase. Relieved at having the material safe from prying eyes, the two men went to the door to leave. They waited to see if Rover or Shadow would join them. Tiger was at the hospital guarding the women. Until the war with organized crime was over, no one went alone. One cat would go with each pair and another would stay in the house. Ed asked, "What's keeping the cat?" John thought about it and slapped his forehead. He answered, "Of course, Rover's gone out to hunt. He's been locked up in the office for a couple of days. Shadow won't leave until Rover returns. We've got an hour to kill." "We can get something to eat." John agreed, "Sounds good to me. How about grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup." "Campbell's?" "Of course." "Marguerite is not going to like that," remarked Ed with a laugh. The chef they had retained was professionally trained and hated cooking out of the can. She would mutter and complain the whole time. The pair walked into the kitchen. Marguerite was singing in time to the music on the radio. She was standing in front of the stove slowly stirring a concoction in a large pot. She was dancing in time with the music. John asked, "So what kind of foul potion are you trying to brew up now?" Ed laughed at the look on her face as she spun around and glared at John. She was embarrassed at having been caught dancing while she was cooking. She continued to glare at them as she asked, "So what kind of canned crap do you want today?" "Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches." "I bet you want that horrible store bread with American Cheese Slices on it." Ed smiled as he answered, "Yes, and the more horrible the store bread the better." She sneered. "Why in the hell did you hire me if all you want to eat is crap? You can hire a Vegas whore to cook this junk." John stated, "True, but who would be able to cook dinner tonight?" "Huh?" Ed knew where John was going with this. He added, "Yes. We need one of those dinners that last for hours with all kinds of courses. The whole works. We'll even let you include a little wine, except for us men." John turned to Ed. "Do you think she's up to the challenge?" Ed laughed, "She might have forgotten how to cook after making all of that canned crap for us." Marguerite was hardly listening as she started to mentally assemble a full ten-course dinner for them. She went to the meat locker and started going through the meats. She had completely forgotten their request for lunch. John and Ed watched her at work, knowing that for one of the first times since she had arrived they had truly made her happy. John tapped her on the shoulder startling her. He said, "You forgot about our lunch." She cried out, "Oh, I'm so sorry." Ed joked, "Just for that, you and the staff have to serve us in the nude tonight." She blushed and ran to make their lunch. John laughed at her reaction. "She went off to make our crappy lunch without any complaints. Maybe you should threaten her with that more often." The men went to the table to wait for lunch. She was much more prompt than usual and set their plates in front of them without a complaint. She ran out of the room as soon as the men started eating. They enjoyed the meal tremendously. Shadow joined them at the front door. They left for Phoenix and discussed the purchases that they would make as they drove along. They initially thought they would go for elegant dress that would be fitting for the evening that they planned. However, as they were driving, they passed a medieval store. Both men looked at each other with a knowing smile and John turned the car around. They pulled up in the parking lot and got out. Entering the store was an experience. There were swords, suits of armor, tapestries, and costumes. Most of the stuff in the store had no real counterpart in medieval Europe, but it was nice and showy. The jewelry was large and gaudy, necklaces that were intricate weaves were intended to show off breasts barely covered by tight fitting dresses. John and Ed wandered about looking at the general layout of the store. Shadow found a corner where he could keep an eye on everything and yet remain unnoticed. There was a man and a woman in medieval garb behind the counter. They glanced over at John and Ed with the lack of interest that comes of too many months of bored interactions with window shoppers. John knew they probably had a small circle of customers that accounted for the majority of their business. John winked at Ed and marched up to the counter. "Greetings my young entrepreneurs. We are having a dinner tonight and wish to dress our guests and ourselves in medieval attire. The whole works including shoes, clothes, jewelry, and whatever else is appropriate. You have two men and two women to outfit, money is no object." Ed interrupted, "Nay, my good man. You have forgotten the servants. They too must be properly attired!" As the couple behind the counter stared at them in shock, John countered, "Ah, you forget. You had requested the servants to serve us naked for their transgression of lunch today!" "Alas, that was under the formal, but decadent theme we would have followed. We have changed the theme!" John nodded. "So be it. I have no idea of their sizes, though." The woman behind the counter suggested, "Call them and ask." John gestured to the telephone. She handed it to him and he dialed the number for the kitchen. After Marguerite answered, John handed the telephone back to the woman and stated, "Here's Marguerite. Get the data that you need from her. Only tell her that you are a uniform shop. I'd like to surprise her." The woman behind the counter smiled. She picked up the telephone and after an animated exchange agreed to hold until Marguerite got all of the information required. She covered the mouthpiece, "She doesn't sound too happy." John laughed, "That's okay. We're interrupting her cooking. She's passionate about that and we don't let her cook that often." Ed turned to the male clerk who was still staring at both of them. Ed turned to the clerk, "How about locking up so that we aren't interrupted. And don't mind Shadow, he won't bite." The male clerk got out from behind the counter and moved towards the weapons. He decided that this was a holdup and he was going to resist in a most medieval manner. Ed noticed the move and nudged John. John reached in his wallet and removed his platinum card. He set it on the counter. The clerk took one look at the card and moved to lock the door. John and Ed waited patiently for him to return. John stated, "Here's a picture of the women. We want things that will make them look outstanding." The clerk looked at the pictures for a moment and then smiled, "Let Chrissy handle outfitting you and the ladies. She has impeccable taste and will make you look like real lords and ladies. I'll handle the clothes for the servants once she gets the data. For now, let's get you outfitted with the necessary accompaniments for a lord." Ed stated, "Lead they way, my good man." They went over to the weapons. The majority of weapons were huge and threatening looking. The clerk walked right past those to a simple counter containing small knives. He stated, "That big stuff is just for show. A real lord would carry a small weapon like this for personal defense within his castle. Outside, he'd carry a simple sword, which was more a sign of rank than for actual use." He picked out two simple blades and presented them to John and Ed. John stated, Okay. Put them on the counter. We are in your hands." Chrissy came over with a list of clothes sizes. She handed it to the man and stated, "Here you go, Greg. Make them look sexy! The woman on the phone said the staff didn't want to look like hotel employees." Greg smiled as he had an interesting thought, "How about the chain mail clothes?" John looked at the chain mail bikini and shook his head. He stated, "I'm not quite sure the staff would go along with that look." Greg nodded, "Okay. I'll lay out several outfits for you." Chrissy requested their attention. She stated "Let me start with the men since you are so much easier. You will want to wear a shirt like those over there. You will wear breeches with hosen. Over that you will wear a doublet with a hat and a belt." Ed and John looked at each other. John said, "this sounds a little complicated. Can you round up some friends to help us dress tonight? We'll pay and treat them to a Mexican dinner." Crissy looked over at Greg who shrugged. "Sure we'll help out." John stated, "Good. We'll need someone for each person. So there are four of us and four that work for us, so we'll need eight people." Ed smiled, "How about men to dress the women and women to dress the men?" John frowned, "I'm not sure the staff would like that, but for the four of us -- why not! Greg, can you line up eight people?" Greg shrugged, "Sure, I'm pretty sure that I can do that." John smiled. "Okay, have everyone get here around 5:30 tonight. We'll send a van over for you." Chrissy nodded at Greg, "Count me in. This sounds like fun." Greg went to the telephone to make some calls. Chrissy selected an outfit for John and then one for Ed. Both men looked at their outfits and whistled. John looked at Chrissy, "Wow, this looks outstanding." Ed agreed, "This is great! I love it." Chrissy stated, "Do you want to try them on?" "Sure." "Why don't you strip down to your underwear and I'll help you dress?" John and Ed shed their clothes rather quickly. As John removed his, Chrissy stared at the scars as they were revealed. The only part of his body that wasn't scarred was his face and hands. In a way, he looked like a medieval man that had lead an active and rough lifestyle. She handed them items one at a time, telling them how to put them on. She had to help them tie the doublets. The last thing was a pair of high leather boots. They looked in the mirror amazed at the transformation. John slipped the knife into the belt and stepped back. Chrissy was about to suggest a medallion when her eyes fell upon the medallion around his neck. She reached out to touch it, but the hairs stood up on the back of her neck. She quickly pulled her hand back with a great sense of relief that she hadn't touched them. She looked at Ed and noticed the similar medallion around his neck. For some reason, trying to examine the medallions made her skin crawl. Ed looked at him and stated, "You are a fine looking medieval lord." "Thanks, Ed. So are you!" Chrissy studied the pictures of the two women for several minutes. She frowned, "They are going to need very different styles to look good." "Do what you must!" She went to the wall and pulled down several pieces of clothes. She assembled a velvet outfit in green that incorporated several layers of clothes. She put them together to show what the final outfit would look like. She suddenly remembered that they would need period shoes and got out a pair that went with the clothes. John frowned, "I just don't see it." Chrissy stepped back. She went to the wall and pulled down another outfit. "I'll be right back." She left the room. John went over to Greg and asked, "How's it going?" Greg pointed to an area on the floor where he had four separate female outfits and two separate male outfits laid out on the floor. "Well, I've come up with those options. The one on the right is a serving wench and next to it is the assistant serving wench. This is a simple woman's two-tone dress. The last one is a peasant outfit. The men's outfits are appropriate for a peasant and a swordsman. I wish we had something that was appropriate for a male servant, but the closest is the peasant outfit." John pointed to the serving wench and the two-tone dress. "We'll take one of each of those two outfits for each of the women. Both outfits for the men." Ed called out, "Add whatever accessories are appropriate." John turned around and saw Chrissy in the outfit. "Wow! That looks great. That would be perfect for Beth!" Ed took one look, "Oh yes. I agree completely. She'll love that outfit. I bet she'll wear that everywhere." John nodded, "Add a necklace, bracelets, rings, and headgear. I'll trust your judgement as to what would go well with that." Chrissy went to the jewelry counter and started putting on accessories. She put on a fancy metal headdress, body jewelry, and a hand flower. She picked out a waist chain and put that on. When she stepped back the effect was amazing. John looked at the jewelry case and pointed to various different styles of the same accessories. "Add those and let them take their pick." Chrissy frowned, "I'm afraid these tend to be a little expensive. You might want to select one." John shook his head, "Are they under a thousand each?" "Yes." "Then go for it. Now lets see the outfit for Kelly." Chrissy went to the wall and put together a completely different outfit. This was black velvet outfit. She laid it out and picked out another copy. She winked, "I'll be right back." John and Ed decided that they should probably get dressed in their regular clothes. Greg and Chrissy would want to get all of the information off the clothes and pack them up for them to take. They had changed by the time Chrissy came out of the back in the other outfit. John and Ed looked at her and nodded appreciatively. She was right, it was more appropriate for Kelly's appearance. John stated, "That's great. We'll take it." Greg was busy writing up the order. As he wrote down the items and the prices associated with them, he was getting increasingly more worried. He had already totaled up close to four thousand dollars worth of merchandise for the help and hadn't even started on the accessories that John had picked out. He feared these guys would see the total price and drop the whole thing. John looked at some of the table settings. He motioned Ed to come over. Ed looked at the table settings and nodded. They turned to the very worried Greg who had just finished adding the accessories to the bill. John stated, "Hey Greg, can you add forty of these plates, eight of these small plates, eight of these small glasses, eight of these large wine glasses, eight more of these water glasses, sixteen bowls, and full set of silverware? Oh, and add serving dishes that match." Greg went over to the stock and realized that he couldn't fill the order. He turned to John, "I can't do it. I just don't have enough of them." John asked, "Can you fill half the order?" "Just." "Okay. Do it then." Greg got the rest of the merchandise and added that to the bill. He hadn't even got to their costumes yet. He was in shock. This sale was more than he usually had in six months here at the store. Most of his sales were single items at Renaissance Fairs. He knew it was too good to be true. In a very depressed mood, he finished totaling up the sale. He sucked in his breath when he realized that it came to more than twenty-five thousand dollars. John asked Ed, "should we add some stuff for atmosphere?" "Like what?" "Oh, a couple of those tapestries." "Sure." John turned to Chrissy who had just changed back into her original clothes. John pointed to two different tapestries, "Add that tapestry and that tapestry." She nodded and removed them from the walls. She stated, "You do realize that this one is an original tapestry. It costs fifteen thousand dollars." "Add it." Greg looked positively green when she brought the tapestries over to him. He added them to the bill and frowned. He turned to Ed, "I'm afraid the total is $44,546." John smiled, "Okay. Put it on the card." Greg looked scared, "I'm sorry, but do you mind if I call the credit card company? I've never handled a sale this size before." Ed could tell Greg was worried. He reassured the man, "Yes, please call them. However, if you prefer we can do this on a debit card, certified check, or direct transfer into your account." Greg stuttered, "No, the credit card is fine." He called the credit card company. He was shocked when they laughed at the amount and called it paltry. They gave him an authorization number over the telephone and wished him a nice day. The sale was legitimate, which pleased him. It wasn't until he really looked at the name on the credit card that he realized who his customer was. He hung up the telephone in time to hear John tell Ed, "Wow, we got out of this cheap. I was going to pay that for one necklace if we went the formal route." Ed and John laughed at the thought of the fun they were going to have tonight. John turned to Greg and stated, "Let's get all of this stuff into the jeep." When John and Ed got to the door of the store, Shadow came out from under the table where he had been watching over them. Greg nearly dropped the bags that he was carrying when he saw the cat. Chrissy screamed in surprise. Shadow just looked at her as if she was a complete idiot and not worth his time. After loading the car and reminding them to be there at 5:30, John and Ed drove off to their home. Shadow's ride was uncomfortable with packages shoved in every spare space of the jeep. The men were in very good spirits. They arrived home before their wives. At home, they finished setting up the plans for the evening. Marguerite looked at the plates and glasses they had purchased. She laughed and went back into the kitchen. At least the meal she had planned would fit a medieval theme well enough. On reaching the oven where the roast beef was cooking, she had a horrible thought. They were going to expect her to dress up like some sort of medieval serving wench; she'd rather be naked. ------- Chapter 19 Beth arrived at the house tired from a horrible day of work. There had been a major car accident. She had personally attended three people, each of whom required extensive work to treat. Kelly was not in much better shape. Beth turned to Kelly, "I hope the guys are home tonight. We both could use a little pampering." Kelly sighed, "You know them. When they are hot on the trail of something, it is a no holds barred war." "I think we are going to have to train them on how to treat their wives like queens." Kelly said as she laughed, "From what I understood, Queens weren't treated all that well by their Kings. Maybe we ought to aim at being treated like mistresses." "Well, let's get our royal asses into the house." The women exited the car and walked into the house. They were greeted by Bill, the secretary/accountant that they had hired to take care of the bothersome tasks of dealing with telephone calls and bills. He addressed them, "My ladies, the lords of the manner have requested your presence for dinner at eight tonight. Your attendants shall come to your rooms at seven to assist you in dressing for the event." Beth and Kelly looked at each other in surprise. Ladies? Lords? Attendants? It didn't make sense to them. Beth asked, "What shall we do until seven?" Bill replied, "Wine, cheese, and sliced fruits have been delivered to your rooms. Bob and I shall be happy to give you a massage after you bathe." Beth smiled at the reminder. John had insisted that everyone on the staff learn how to give massages. Kelly and she had always had the women perform the massages, but she knew that tonight they would be busy in the kitchen. Beth replied, "That would be fine." "Excellent my Lady. Bob and I shall come to your rooms at half past six." Beth and Kelly giggled and headed to their rooms. Outside their doors were trays with the pre-dinner snacks and glasses of wine. The trays were on small tables set beside the door. There was one ironclad rule in the house. No one was allowed into the private room of another without the express permission and presence of the owner of that room. That rule applied to staff and each other. Beth opened her door and took the tray into her room. She saw Kelly doing the same thing, but Kelly took a moment to take a sip of wine. Beth closed the door and stripped. It was only a few minutes before six and she decided that she was going to stay naked until her attendants arrived. She put in an Enya CD in the stereo and turned it on to a nice pleasing volume. She sat down in her comfort chair and started on the snacks. She could feel the tension escaping from her body. She went into the bathroom and took a shower. It was a quick shower, as she preferred to spend her time relaxing in a chair and enjoying some quiet time. She knew that Kelly would have immediately started a bath and would spend her time relaxing in it with music and her fruit. Instead, she turned on all of the jets in the shower and stood in it for a few minutes with her arms up in the air as the warm water pulsed against every inch of her body. Her whole body tingled from the sensations. She returned to the sitting room and slowly worked on the fruit plate and glass of wine. She had gone from being tired, weary, and unloved to being relaxed, happy, and loved in just twenty minutes. Her massage would start in ten minutes, but for now, she enjoyed the private time alone. A knock on the door broke her out of her reverie. She thought about putting on a robe, but decided that it was just a waste of time. She opened the door to find Bob with one of the portable massage tables. He pulled it into the room and quickly set up. "My Lady, if you would please get face up on the table while I turn down the lights. I have decided to give you a powder massage rather than a hot oil massage. I believe that will feel better under your evening attire. Does that meet with your approval?" "Yes," she replied as she climbed onto the table lay on her back. She loved how he worked the rest of the body before turning his attention to her back. Bob began his massage with her face, running his hands along individual muscles. No matter how many times he massaged a woman, he couldn't help getting an erection. The act of giving a massage was sexy to an extreme, but he never did anything to jeopardize his position. He had worked as a handyman, auto- mechanic, and gardener in the past. He loved each job, but hated doing any one of them full time. Now he had his perfect job. He was in charge of a fleet of cars, all of the gardening, and repairs to the house. He worked at his pace under very understanding bosses. He had learned to give massages and be a security guard. He was given his own room, with a door that opened only to his palm print. His co-workers were sexually liberated and it was seldom that he spent a night alone. In the living room, John and Ed were talking with the group of people that had come to help them dress. John stated, "We can set up reservations for you at Maria's Cantina. It has great Mexican food." Greg interrupted, "We had discussed this on the way here. We brought our costumes with us. We are all very good entertainers. We juggle, play renaissance music, dance, tell stories, and act as servants. We would really enjoy playing a background role in your evening." Ed turned to John. "They're really serious." John smiled, "That would be great. I'll have to check with Marguerite to see what she can do about feeding you." Chrissy smiled, "We brought peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. You don't need to worry about us." Marguerite came out of the kitchen at hearing her name. "What was that about checking with me?" "Oh, it was about feeding them," replied John. He knew that she had probably cooked three times as much food as they would ever eat, but that she would complain about having to feed others at the last minute. He added, "but there's no need. They brought peanut butter and jelly sandwiches." Marguerite exploded, "They are going to eat that crap when I, the best chef in the state, is cooking? No way, I have more than enough to feed them." Ed laughed, "So it is decided." Greg looked at the table and suggested, "Why don't you and Ed take it easy while we set up this room appropriate for a feast for a pair of lords and their ladies?" "Sounds good to me. When Marguerite can spare Ling, she will take you upstairs to a pair of rooms where you may change your clothes." Marguerite exploded and stated, "I can not spare Ling. We are preparing a major meal." One of the men raised his hand, "I graduated from the American Culinary Institute in New York. Perhaps I can help." Marguerite looked at him in surprise and considered the offer. "Yes, come into the kitchen and we'll get you ready to work." Greg sidled up to John and asked in a low voice, "Uh, just so that there isn't any confusion, would you prefer us to act tame, randy, or wild?" "Uh, what's the difference?" "Well, in a tame acts we tell jokes and do things that you would allow children to attend. When we're randy, we tell off color jokes and sing ribald songs. When we act wild we start tame, move to randy, and then later, there's fondling and, on occasion, some nudity or more." John laughed, "Wild of course! We want you to have as much fun as us." Ed and John headed towards their rooms to clean up and relax for a few minutes. The evening was working out better than they had planned. John wanted it to be fun, risqué, and unique. It sounded like that was going to happen. John showered and trimmed his beard before relaxing in his sitting room. It was sparsely decorated. A single chair and small table was the entire furnishings. Some pictures drawn by Karla were hung on the wall in individual picture frames. They followed her development from the first picture she had drawn of him to the latest portrait she had painted. Looking at the pictures made him feel good. His casual appreciation of the art was interrupted by a knock on the door. He opened it to find a smiling Greg standing in front of him. Greg was still in his street clothes. Greg rubbed his hands together and stated, "Let's get started." He proceeded to hand clothes to John and adjusted their fit each piece at a time. The transformation took some time, but the effect was even better than in the store. John stood there looking like a lord of old. The addition of a large ducal ring and the knife in the belt completed the look. Greg suggested, "Wear the medallion on the outside, which is how a Lord would wear one." John decided to have a little fun. He challenged Greg, "If you can reach in and pull it out, I'll wear it out." Greg reached up and touched the chain to the medallion. Almost immediately, his vision blurred and he felt queasy. He was about to steel himself and then realized that if the medallion didn't want to be shown to the world, that it would be best if he didn't force it. As soon as he made that decision, his vision returned and his queasiness disappeared. He removed his hand from the chain, "Amazing. I've never experienced anything like that. Is it magic?" John simply stated, "I am a Druid and the medallion is a gift from the Gods and Goddesses that I serve." Greg considered the answer for a minute and realized that the guy dressing Ed was a Druid. He wondered how he would have reacted to the amulet. He was about to make a comment about Jim, but decided that he would be better off not saying a word. In Ed's room, Ed was confronted with someone that thought he was a druid. His truth sense told him that Jim actually believed that he was a druid. Ed decided to politely dissuade him from making the claim around John. He stated, "Jim, I would prefer if you would call yourself a pagan wise one while in this house." Jim replied politely, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you have a problem with Druids. I will let it be known to the rest of the group that they should address me differently tonight. I did not mean to cause offense." Ed laughed while stating, "Oh boy. You don't understand. I am a Druid. John is the highest ranking Druid in the world." Jim looked puzzled. "You should greet me like a brother then." Ed, still undressed, stated, "Touch my medallion if you can." Jim, unsuspecting, reached out and touched the medallion. For a full minute, he stood in place like stone. He fell to the floor in pain. In anguish, he cried out, "What was that?" Ed asked, "What happened to you?" Jim stared at him with large eyes. "I was in a meadow, next to a stream. A naked woman was there, gesturing to me. When I approached, she told me to come to her at the appointed time and place. If I missed the appointment, I would experience pain that would be unbelievable. She gave me a taste of it and then I was back here." "Was there a man there?" "No." Ed smiled and stated, "Then you are chosen to serve the Goddess. You are now an initiate and may refer to yourself as such. I will give you directions on how to make your appointment." Jim stared at Ed still in shock. With a slight tremor in his voice, he asked, "How am I supposed to address you?" Ed smiled at Jim, then answered, "You may address me as Ed." The surprisingly simple answer reassured Jim considerably. He changed the topic by stating, "If I may dress you now." Down the hallway, Kelly opened the door to find a rather large woman standing in front of her carrying a huge pile of boxes. She had expected one of the household staff. Her surprise at finding someone that she didn't know was quite evident. The woman asked, "My Lady, are you ready to be dressed?" Somewhat confused, Kelly invited the woman into her room. The woman introduced herself, "I'm Sarah, my Lady. I've been chosen to attend to you this evening by Lord Ed." Kelly nodded, "Thank you Sarah. What should I do?" Sarah smiled, "Nothing, my Lady. Just allow me to dress you." "Can't I dress myself?" "I doubt that you could, my Lady. Lord John had suggested that you have a man servant, but he learned that the men had difficulties enough removing the clothes that they could do nothing to assist you in dressing." Kelly really looked surprised at that. She asked, "The dress tonight is that complex?" In answer, Sarah looked through the boxes and pulled out a white silk dress. She helped Kelly into it while saying, "This, my Lady is the under-dress. You will wear two of these to help fill out the rest of the attire. A bra and panties is not appropriate for this kind of wear." She proceeded to put layer after layer of clothes on Kelly while telling her the function of each piece of clothing. Kelly's delight in the clothes grew as each layer transformed her from a twentieth- century woman to a medieval babe. The clothes, particularly the girdle, pushed her breasts up and together giving her a very pleasing cleavage. The last clothing item to go on was the shoes that were more like slippers. Finally, they were done with the clothes. Sarah opened the last box and examined the contents. She pulled out a very ornate headdress and draped it over Kelly's hair. She selected a very long necklace that drew the eye straight to Kelly's cleavage. The hand flower had metal links in an intricate pattern that ran from a bracelet to a ring. The last to go on was a waist chain with little bells that twinkled when she walked. Sarah stepped back and looked at Kelly. Her eyes were moist and her voice emotional as she stated, "You are so beautiful. They must really love you to spend so much on a single outfit for a single night. Now go to a mirror and look at yourself, my Lady." Kelly stood in front of the mirror looking at the wondrously beautiful woman looking back at her. She couldn't believe her eyes. She turned to Sarah asking, "Tell me, is that woman in the mirror really me?" "Yes, my Lady." "Amazing. I feel like the princess in a fairy tale." Sarah smiled. "Yes, my Lady. You are the princess in a fairy tale. Now, if there is nothing else that you require of me, I must go dress for this evenings festivities." "Go on," replied Kelly still looking in the mirror at her reflection. She hardly heard the door close behind her. The image of walking through an enchanted forest came unbidden to her mind. She gave in to the sudden urge to walk through the atrium and the plants there. She slipped out her door and entered the nearest path through the plants. As she cleared the last turn before the bench in the center of the atrium, she saw Beth headed in her direction. Both women cried, "My goodness, you're lovely." They ran to each other and embraced. Tears of happiness ran down their cheeks. Both were overwhelmed at the surroundings and the care that had been taken to make them feel special. For the moment, they were in an enchanted forest. Beth wiped away a tear as she stated, "Look at us. We're weeping for no reason." "Those two are amazing," replied Kelly. John and Ed never ceased to amaze her. She laughed, "At least we got our Royal Asses in the house in time to experience this." Beth laughed as she remembered the conversation in the car. She added, "We had better get our Royal Asses to the dining room." When they reached the dining area, a man, they did not know, dressed in a simple costume announced them. "Lords and guests. Lady Beth and Lady Kelly present themselves." Turning to the ladies, he stated, "My Ladies, your seats await you at the high table." They entered the dining room. The tables had been arranged with one across the back of the room with a table along each end running perpendicular. Chairs were on one side of the tables only. Behind the tables, guests were bowing or curtseying according to gender. John and Ed were in half bows with a hand outstretched for the ladies to take. The women joined the men and sat down at the head table with them. The guests straightened up and then seated themselves. John turned to the women seated between Ed and him, "You ladies are visions that would make angels cry at your beauty." Beth and Kelly each hugged the man closest to them with tears in their eyes. They were overwhelmed by the amount of effort the men had put into this evening. It made them feel guilty that they had been complaining earlier. Beth hardly recognized Bill when he came to the table and poured her wine. She had a small pitcher that contained wine set next to her glass. She noticed similar small pitchers next to the glasses all along the table. One of the guests suddenly stood and raised his glass, "A toast for our Lords and their beautiful Ladies! May you have a long life filed with happiness and prosperity!" The toast was seconded by all of the guests, "Here! Here!" Those at the high table took their glasses and raised them to receive the toast. A small sip later, the glasses were set down. Marguerite came out of the kitchen dressed in the peasant costume, "Lords, Ladies, and Guests. The first course tonight is a wonderful little Endive Salad with sliced fruits to wake the palate for the rest of tonight's culinary adventure." Two serving wenches came out of the kitchen carrying two plates each. These were delivered to the head table. They made several more trips to provide food for each of the guests. Comments that were complimentary to the food and the serving wenches were heard around the room. The salad was simple and wonderful. When a person finished their salad, one of the serving wenches came and removed the plate. When a glass was less than half full, Bill came by to fill it. People would get up and walk around only to stop at someone's chair and talk. The man who had made the toast, wandered over to John, "My Lord, if you would care for a little music with your dinner, I shall have the musicians brought in." Kelly clapped her hands in delight, "Oh that would be so wonderful." John smiled, "I can't refuse Lady Kelly anything tonight." The man nodded and left the room. Beth looked around and exclaimed, "Hey, different people are at the table." John and Ed winked at each other as the musicians entered the room. They seated themselves in four chairs near the corner of the room. After a few minutes for them to be settled, they started playing some nice music. Marguerite entered the room after the music had started. In an official voice, she announced, "Lords, Ladies, and Guests! The second course tonight is a wonderful Beef and Barley soup served within a bowl made of rye bread." Beth giggled at the formality of the announcement. She was really enjoying the entire spectacle. She realized that Marguerite was enjoying it just as much or even more so. She looked around the room and realized that Ling and Bill were seated amongst the guests. She realized what was happening. The guests and servants were switching places to make the banquet look like more people attended. The soup was delivered by another serving wench. The woman curtsied in front of John as she set the soup in front of him. It took Kelly a second to realize that it was Sarah in full costume. Her large build filled out the outfit in all of the right places. She watched as Sarah served another one of the guests. This guest fondled her as she bent over to serve him and stated in a loud enough voice to carry through the whole room, "You're a fine looking wench. Big enough for a man to grab onto when he lays with her at night. What say you, come to my room later tonight?" Sarah peered over the edge of the table. She laughed as she teased, "I may be big enough for a man to grab onto, but the real question is if you're man enough for me to know that you're there. If my eyes do not deceive me, the answer is nay." Laughter rose from every corner of the room as Sarah tossed a hip in the man's direction and strutted into the kitchen. John watched Beth and Kelly out of the corner of his eye. When the exchange had started, he noticed Kelly tense up and then break into laughter by the end. Beth was smiling so hard that her face was starting to hurt. They ate their soup and talked at a leisurely pace. The bowl made of bread was large, but contained a surprisingly small portion of soup. A ten-course meal could not have huge servings for each course. Beth not knowing what was in store for her, started eating the bowl. After she had taken a few bites, Ed leaned over and whispered in her ear, "You might want to leave some room. There are eight more courses to come." Beth looked at him in shock. "Eight more courses?" Kelly heard her comment and turned to John. "This is a ten-course meal?" John laughed as he stated, "Why do you think Marguerite is so happy?" The soups were cleared from the tables. One of the musicians stood and requested, "If My Lord does not object, we shall take our break now." John waved a hand in a royal fashion. One of the guests rose and told a limerick that was rather lame. Another guest rose and told a much better limerick. For the next ten minutes, the guests challenged each other with limericks. Cheers were given for good ones and insults were bandied about for the bad ones. Nudges were passed for the naughty ones. When the laughter had died down, Marguerite entered the room again. She yelled, "Lords, Ladies, and Guests! The third course tonight is a Roast of Beef served with mashed Turnips and Peas in a light cream sauce." A serving wench and a peasant man brought food to the high table. They set the plates in front of them. The peasant surprised everyone by patting the serving wench on the bottom with a hand covered in flour. She screamed, "Aye, you knave. You got flour on my bum. How am I to get that off?" The peasant replied, "I'll be more than happy to spank your bum till all of the flour is gone." She retorted, "That is how it got there in the first place. If you try spanking that flour off, we'll be here all night and I won't be fit for a tumble in the hay for a week!" The whole room burst out in laughter. She turned her backside to Ed and stated, "My Lord, would you care to spank the flour off my bum?" Beth and Kelly burst out laughing. Almost as one they said, "Go for it, Lord Ed." Ed blushing furiously gave her a couple of light smacks on the behind. She made a big production of each swat. When he stopped she looked at him over her shoulder and stated, "My Lord, I think you missed a spot." Ed gave her one more. "There you go, wench!" "You can do that to me all night long, my Lord. In fact, please do that to me all night long." Ed's blush deepened as she sauntered back to the kitchen. John was laughing so hard that he was having difficulty staying in his chair. Kelly was laughing almost as hard. Beth turned to Kelly and stated, "I like the way that wench thinks!" They started eating the roast beef. John called out to Ed, "I see they burned yours." Ed retorted, "I see they forgot to cook yours." It was their standard comment about how each of them liked their food. Kelly and Beth smiled at each other. After a whispered conversation between the two, Kelly signaled Bill over to the table. When he arrived, she asked him to lean over so that she could whisper something in his ear. After a minute of whispered conversation, Bill laughed and stated, "Yes, my Lady." Bill left the table and went into the kitchen. After this, the course was eaten in a leisurely fashion. The conversation around the table was animated and friendly. It was also very subtle. Beth was watching the guests as they ate. She suddenly realized that there was an undercurrent to the discussions. She whispered to Kelly. They watched as one of the female guests at the end of the table was pressing her breasts together and up while making kissing gestures to a man seated at the other table. When the man next to her would turn to her, she snapped to attention and looked like she was listening to every word he said. When he turned to talk to the guest on his other side, she reached up and pulled the top of her top down lower so that more of her breasts were shown. Beth and Kelly whispered their observations to the Ed and John. They watched with delight at the action before them. When the men turned to their right, the woman seated there would look and listen attentively. When the men turned to their left, the woman would resume flirting with the man across the table. Meanwhile, the man would be caressing the breast of the woman to his left while she would be discreetly rubbing him under the table. The same scene was being played out in various ways around the room. The near catches were very funny as people made up implausible excuses for their behavior. These people were definitely having fun playing their parts. Somehow in the midst of all the fun and games around the table, the dishes had been cleared without them noticing. It was quite a surprise when Marguerite came out to announce the fourth course. "Lords, Ladies, and Guests. The fourth course tonight is a light salad to cleanse the palate for the next course." She was about to leave when Bill came to attention by the high table, "Just a moment. A complaint about the last course was registered by the Lords." Marguerite replied, "Nay, tell me it is not so!" Kelly stated, "It is so. Lord Ed noted that Lord John's meat was uncooked. Lord John noted that Lord Ed had been served meat that was overcooked." John and Ed looked at each other in puzzlement. Beth continued where Kelly had stopped, "I think a punishment is in order." The whole room shouted it agreement, "Quite rightly." Greg stood, "My Ladies, I heard the Lords discussing their lunch and how this wench had forgotten to prepare it for them!" Kelly looked at Marguerite and questioned, "Is this so?" Marguerite meekly stated, "Aye, my Lady. It is so." Since neither Kelly nor Beth knew what punishment had been dreamed up by Marguerite and Bill, they knew they would have to turn it over to him somehow. They didn't want to get John or Ed into the discussion, so Kelly took the lead, "My Lords, let us not dirty our hands with punishing this wench. Allow Bill to come up with a proper punishment!" John caught on. "Of course, however, I must warn you that the punishment should fit the crime!" Bill bowed and stated, "As you command, my Lord." The musicians returned to play while the food was being served. This time, they sang while playing their instruments. The songs were of a ribald nature with themes of cheating husbands and wives. One song that was particularly funny was about a couple that cheated on each other only to discover their cheating had been with each other. Before the last song had finished, the salads were eaten and the plates were cleared from the tables. Ling came out from the kitchen. She shouted, "Lords, Ladies, and Guests. The fifth course tonight is a simple White Fish Filet with an Almond Sauce on a bed of greens. It is accompanied by steamed carrots." Sarah was the serving wench for this course. She came to the table in front of John and stepped back with a frown. She stated, "Does my Lord not wish to participate in the customary fifth course flirt?" John looked a little startled and inquired, "I fear that I am not familiar with this custom. Please explain it to me." "My Lord, when the wench comes to serve the fifth course, the men are to hold their right hand out like so." She held a hand out with the first finger crooked like a hook with the barb pointed downward. She winked at him, "The rest is up to the serving wench." John, puzzled, held his hand in the fashion she had instructed him. Smiling, as she set the plate in front of him, she positioned herself so that the top of her blouse was caught by her finger. Stepping back and up exposed her breasts for John to see. She held that pose of about ten seconds and stepped further back pulling the blouse from his grasp thereby covering her breasts. Kelly and Beth burst out laughing at his blush. Sarah went to Ed. Beth nudged him in the side and he stuck his hand out in the same way. She carefully set the plate down and stepped back. Nothing had been exposed. She taunted, "I saw you spank that wench earlier. I'm not that kind of woman!" She flounced off towards the kitchen leaving a speechless Ed sitting there. After a few seconds, he burst out laughing with the rest of the room. He turned and saw that John was still blushing and started laughing even harder. He cracked, "Hey, at least I got to touch!" That set off the whole room into another fit of laughter. Sarah went around the room serving the fish. Some men she let expose her and others she didn't. For those that she didn't, she always had a witty reason. Kelly and Beth were having a great time. John and Ed were paying attention to them. The guests were entertaining. The food was great and the wine was quite heady. During this course, women were sitting in men's laps while being fondled. Tops were opened and closed with regularity. The course was finished in record time. A couple of the guests were banging on the tables shouting, "Bring out the Bard! Bring out the Bard!" The young man helping in the kitchen came out carrying a harp. He seated himself and began to sing. The first song was a rousing recital of a great war between invading Vikings and a small village. The next song was a love song about a fair maiden and her poor suitor. The song had more than one couple hugging and kissing by the end. Ling came out from the kitchen. She shouted, "Lords, Ladies, and Honored Guests. The sixth course is a seafood crepe." Small plates with a crepe filled with crab were brought to the table by male servants. Kelly pouted when hers was served. She asked, "Is there not a sixth course tease for the women?" John heard her comment and stated, "Lord, Ladies, and Honored Guests, a suggestion to start a tradition of a sixth course tease for women has been put forth. I concur. Henceforth, let there be a sixth course tease for women." Ed seconded, "The Gods love a randy woman!" Kelly put forth her hand with a finger hooked downwards. The servant got the idea. He hooked the top of his breeches in her finger and pulled back a little. Kelly looked down and sighed, "Ah, it's asleep." When it was Beth's turn, she repeated the process. The rather embarrassed young man gave her a nice glimpse. "I think it's waking! I'm sure that by the time he gets to Sarah it shall be fully awake and standing at attention." The room laughed. The high table started to work on their crepes. Their attention was grabbed when a screech came from the end of the room. Sarah shouted, "My Lady was right! He's wide-awake and standing tall. He's even fat. What more could a woman want?" The room laughed when Sarah stood up and grabbed his arm. She pulled him out of the room, although it was clear that he was not complaining. John turned to Kelly and said, "I think you started something here!" She laughed and Beth stated, "It's about time we got a little excitement around here!" In short order, Sarah returned to the room, discreetly wiping her mouth. In a satisfied voice, "Well, that sixth course was outstanding! By they way, how were the crepes?" The whole room burst out in laughter. Her behavior and comments left little doubt as to what she had for a sixth course. Kelly leaned over to John as she suggestively stated, "I hope you are the tenth course!" "Nay my Lady, I'm the eleventh!" Marguerite came out wearing nothing but body jewelry and a waist chain. Apparently, they had decided in the back upon that punishment. John and Ed couldn't help staring at her. Beth and Kelly were just as interested. Marguerite, a rather plump woman, actually had a very sexual body. Her curves were soft without rolls of fat or cellulite. Her presence in the room was accompanied by lots of cheering and jeering. She shouted, "Lords, Ladies, and Honored Guests. The seventh course is Goose stuffed with Fruits and accompanied by wild rice." By now, the party was in full swing. The serving wenches were fondled and breasts bared on several occasions. Men and women were feeding each other with great delight. Knife and forks were abandoned in favor of fingers. John and Kelly feed each other slowly. The only difficulty was the rice and that lead to lots of fun tracking down errant grains. A juggler entertained them with his skills in juggling and the jokes he told while keeping the sand filled sacks in the air. He told a particularly dirty joke about a woman named Sarah and her legendary skills at playing the trouser flute. One of the guest shouted out, "Sarah, show me your skill at the trouser flute." Sarah retorted, "I'm the best when it comes to playing trouser flutes, but I'm no good playing the piccolo!" The room laughed and people returned to their activities with each other. Blouses were now down more than up as the men played with the women sitting upon their laps. Ed pointed to one couple seated on the left table. He asked Beth, "isn't that Ling and Bob?" Beth nodded, "She's got large breasts for an oriental. I never realized that." Ed eyed Beth speculatively. "You look interested in her." She smiled, "Like you're not? You brought her to my attention!" "Actually, I didn't realize that she and Bob were that close." Beth blushed, "Oh yeah." Marguerite came out dressed as before, "Lords, Ladies, and Honored Guests. The eighth course is a selection of Cheeses and Sliced Fruits." Rather than a plate for each individual, plates were placed between couples. The room had now formed into couples that laughed and played as they fed each other. Some women were sitting on the laps of the men. Others were sitting side by side with a hand under the table. This was the case at the High Table. John was slowly exploring under the layers of clothes worn by Kelly. Ed was slowly rubbing Beth through the layers of clothing. In the process, the cheese and fruits disappeared from the plates. Throughout, Bill continually refilled glasses and served as personal attendant for the two Lords. Of course, it was also noted that he disappeared into the kitchen quite frequently. Marguerite came out of the kitchen again. She shouted, "Lords, Ladies, and Guests. The ninth course for this evening is a selection of pastries served with a fine rich coffee." A serving wench came out with plates loaded with little pastries. The couples served each other desserts. The coffee was a refreshing treat. The musicians took up their instruments and dance music was played. The guests stood and danced in the opening in front of the Lords table. John and Ed invited Beth and Kelly onto the dance floor. After sitting so much that evening, getting up and moving felt great. Skirts were lifted showing legs as the women spun around on the floor. It soon became clear that none of the women were wearing panties. Sweating and breathing heavy from the dancing, people returned to the tables. Beth and Kelly were glowing as a result of dancing. They leaned against the men happy and content. Kelly whispered in John's ear, "I can hardly wait for the eleventh course." Marguerite came out and announced, "Lords, Ladies, and Guests. The tenth and final course for the evening is Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Carmel Apple Slices, and Orange Sections soaked in Liquor." She personally served the last course. When she came to John, she asked, "Does my punishment please my Lord?" John said with laugh, "A punishment that pleasing to the eye pleases me much." "How about you my Lady?" Kelly blushed as she whispered, "For a cook, you look good enough to eat." ------- Chapter 20 The incessant ringing bell was an irritation that could not be ignored. John woke wondering why he had set the alarm clock. He felt Beth stir beside him. He looked at the clock and saw that it was only three in the morning. It dawned on him the alarm clock was not making the ringing. He sat up, "Shit." He shook Beth gently and then a little rougher. He hissed, "Wake up! Wake up!" He climbed out of bed and then turned on the light. Beth complained in her sleep. John shook her again, "You've got to get to the clinic now!" The call to duty woke her faster than the alarm. She realized what was happening and climbed out of bed. John took a moment to appreciate her wonderful body. He admired the way her breasts struggled against gravity. Her nipples were erect from the dream she had been having. In the half-light of the room, the shadows highlighted her luscious curves. He couldn't believe his luck at having this woman in his life. They dressed in silence. Each wondering what had triggered the alarm. This was the fifth time since moving in that the alarms had sounded. Each time, the attacks against them had increased in severity. Two days from now, they hoped that all such attacks would end. The criminal organizations had not taken the total destruction of the Russian Mafia in New York as a warning not to screw with Druids. They had decided that the Druids represented a threat to their organizations and had to be eliminated. Their first act had been to kill Sean, the Druid who had given them the warning about harming Druids. John and Ed had put into place a program to show what a threat the Druids could be. Unfortunately, that program would start in two days. John went to the security center. Ed was already there along with Bill, Bob, and Ling. Ling was seated in the command seat activating cameras and detectors. A computerized map of the property pinpointed the locations of each individual around the entire area. He glanced at the monitors and swore, "They brought an army this time. What set off the alarm?" Ed answered, "They fired a couple of shots out there. Several of them hit the house." Ling replied, "I've activated the external security forces. They will be moving into position within five minutes. The cats have returned to the house. I'm not sure why." John stated, "Send out a dummy." Ling tapped a few commands on the keyboard of a computer. The front door opened and a male shape stepped out. It was immediately shot multiple times as the men carrying automatic weapons opened fire. Ling closed the door behind the dummy. She turned to John, "They're shooting first and asking questions later." The intercom came on. "John, this is Kelly. Rover just came into the clinic with a gunshot wound. It's minor, but I would appreciate it if you brought the other cats into the house." John stepped over to the intercom. He pressed the talk button, "Kelly, all of the cats came in with Rover. They've taken up positions within the house." Ling interrupted, "Those bastards are all carrying heavy weapons." Ed stated, "Screw them. They've hurt one of ours. Activate the Industrial Lasers and cut up their vehicles." Ling stated, "I've just zoomed in on a couple of the vehicles. It looks like they actually have missiles in them." John turned to Ed. The men shared a look for a minute. John had installed ten of the most powerful industrial lasers on the market. The power requirements were horrendous, but John had power to spare in this house. His fusion battery was many times the size of the first one. John nodded, "Activate the lasers." Four minutes later, each vehicle and all of its contents were hunks of rubble. Several of the interlopers were killed as they ran into the high-energy beam of a laser. The rest opened fire in the direction of the house. The external guards opened fire on everyone that was moving. A minute later, the shooting was over and the interlopers were either dead or wounded. Ling turned on all of the floodlights. The police moved in to subdue the wounded and bag the dead. John and Ed went outside to meet the police chief. Tiger came directly to them and walked along side of them. John walked up to the chief, "Hello, Chief." "Shit John, you tore some of these bastards up real good. Cut them in half along with the cars." "Sorry, we sent out a dummy and they shot the hell out of it. They also shot Rover. We didn't want to risk anyone else." The police chief lead him to one of the bodies and turned it over, "They came prepared. This one has a bulletproof vest, automatic rifle, a couple of hand grenades, and night vision goggles. The trucks had anti-tank missiles in the back. Looks like they wanted to make their own entrance into the house." Ed went off to question some of the men that were still alive. John nodded, "We taped everything. I'll have Bill bring the tape over in the morning." "So who were the guards that you brought in?" "Mostly retired cops. Each house had an FBI agent in it to make sure that it was legal. I got tired of risking the lives of you and your men." The chief snorted and then asked, "Is this going to end anytime soon?" "Soon." "I'll tell you the truth, I'm getting tired of dragging dead bodies out of your place. You do realize that we now have the highest crime rate in the country. I've been asked to give the keynote address at the next state police convention on how it is to work in a high crime area." John laughed, "I hope you accepted." The chief shook his head. He replied, "Sure. They'll pay my way there this time." John asked, "Is there anything I can do to help out the town? I hate like hell that they are put in danger." "I know you do. You've been very good about making sure that everything is kept away from everyone else. You moved everyone away from the area for the time being. You've made sure that we have the best equipment in all of the state. Hell, you pay so much property taxes that everyone else's bill is next to nothing." John stated, "Well, one more attack like tonight and we're going to build another house further away from town and donate this one as a library." The chief looked at John, "You know the press will be here in the morning to learn more about what happened tonight." John looked disgusted at the news. "I'll brief Jim's new public relations girl. She'll handle it all. She'll be in your office first thing in the morning. No reason for you to be bothered with them any more than me." "Thanks. I appreciate that." Ed returned to John's side. "They were hired from overseas. We have South Americans, Italians, and Russians. The picture I get is that different crime families hired them and they were all sent here to work together." John nodded. He wasn't surprised by the news. He turned to the Sheriff, "We're going to head back to the house and let people adopt a more relaxed stance." The men headed back to the house. They stopped by the dummy and looked at it for a minute. It was all torn up. They picked it up and carried it to the garage. Bob would fix it tomorrow. They entered the house and went to the command center. John called in, "It's almost four in the morning. Who would like to stay on duty for the rest of the night?" Ling looked at John, "It's my primary job." John nodded, "Okay. Everyone else get to bed. Ling will wake up someone to replace her." The others nodded in agreement. They turned to talk to each other to work out the shifts. John and Ed went to the back of the house to see how Rover was doing. When they arrived, Beth was standing next to the operating table. She was relieved when John arrived. "John, he's been shot. I've taken x-rays and found the bullet. It's not bad, but we'll need to figure out how to anesthetize him." John pulled up a chair by the head of the cat. He looked the cat in the eyes for a minute. He stated, "Give me a knife." Ed handed him a scalpel. John made a small cut in the fleshy part of his hand. The blood welled up and flowed into his palm. He reached over to the wound and bloodied the finger of his other hand. He stated, "In five minutes, start operating. He won't feel anything. I promise you that." He held his bloody hand up to the cat's mouth. It licked his palm as he sucked the bloody finger. He grasped the medallion and stared into the cat's eyes. He could feel their minds meshing as one. When their breathing was in tune with each other, they went to a far away place. It was a large a meadow filled with flowers, butterflies, and birdsong. The sky was a clear blue and a gentle sun warmed their bodies. They started to run through the meadow. Sometimes John was the cat while Rover was the man. At other times, the roles returned to normal. They ran until they were tired and then lay down to sleep. The warm sun, the noise of bees visiting flowers and the calls of birds lulled them into a deep peaceful sleep. John was shaken awake by Beth. "Come on lover boy. Time for you to get to a real bed." "How's Rover?" Beth smiled, "He slept through the whole operation. I don't know what you did, but it really worked great. I got the bullet out, fixed some bone damage, and sewed the wound shut. He'll be good as new soon." John breathed a sigh of relief. "Good." "I thought you'd be pleased." "I've got to get Jim's new public relations girl briefed on the events tonight." Ling was at the door. She interrupted, "Don't worry, John. I've already taken care of that." "How did you know?" "I listened to you talking with the Sheriff," replied Ling without any embarrassment at having to admit eavesdropping. In her opinion, she had a right to monitor the situation the entire time he was exposed outdoors. Kelly grabbed his arm. "Come on, we've got to get you to bed." John woke late in the afternoon. Kelly was gently sucking his cock. He moaned at the sensation of her warm mouth working around the head of his cock. She gently massaged his balls as she sucked. A finger brushed lightly against his nipple. He sighed, "Oh, that's so good." Kelly stopped what she was doing and climbed atop him. She lowered herself onto his cock. The slow envelopment of his cock by her hot moist cunt was heavenly. He reached up and started to massage her breasts as she rode his cock. Her hand was massaging her clit driving her into ever increasingly wild motions. She came very quickly, the spasms of her cunt muscles felt like a milking motion on his cock. He exploded very quickly. She lay upon him breathing deeply. She murmured, "On a scale of one to ten, that was a ten!" John whispered, "After all that work, I'm ready to roll over and sleep." She laughed and argued, "That's not the idea. You're supposed to be energized." His stomach growled. He laughed aloud and then stated, "Who said romance is alive! Here I am, resting in the arms of the woman I love and all my stomach can think of is food." "I heard that they way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Your stomach is demanding a little love right now." John laughed, "I'll buy that." "Good, now I'll let Marguerite take care of that!" John asked, "What's up with Marguerite? She's still wearing that body jewelry and waist chain." Kelly answered with a smile, "Maybe she's waiting for her punishment to end." John said, "Well tell her that it's over." "Actually, I think she's waiting for a certain person to take her to bed." "Who's she waiting for?" asked John, more than a little afraid that it would be him. "I can't tell if it is Beth or me." "Thank the Gods and Goddesses," replied John. "What?" "I was afraid it was Ed or me that she was interested in bedding." Kelly was puzzled by his response. She knew that he thought she was nice looking and couldn't understand why he wouldn't want her interested in him or Ed. "Why? Don't you think she's pretty?" "Oh, she's pretty enough. She's just not you or Beth." Kelly frowned, "Didn't we agree that everyone could play some outside of the marriage if they were honest and up front about it?" "Sure." "So what's the problem with her?" John realized that he wasn't going to get out of it that easily. He admitted, "I don't feel comfortable sleeping with someone that works for me. It's such a cliché." Kelly laughed aloud at the sheepish look on his face. She asked, "You're serious aren't you?" "Yes, I am." She stated, "When you hired them, you stated that they were going to be seeing us without our clothes on from time to time. They all knew the score at that time." John shrugged, "They may have, but I didn't." His stomach rumbled again. Kelly climbed off him and stood by the side of the bed. "What do you want to eat?" "How about a roast beef sandwich and some of that soup if she has any left?" Kelly went to the stairs to the sitting room below. She smiled, "Well, why don't you get dressed and meet me down there. I'll let her know what you want to eat." John slowly got out of the bed and took a quick shower. He was drying off when he heard the intercom downstairs. He went down to turn it off. To his surprise, he heard Marguerite say, "Sure, I'd screw John or Ed in a New York minute, but it's been so long since I've been with a woman that I'd go after Beth or Kelly first. God, the other night when she told me I looked good enough to eat I almost came right then." John switched the intercom off. He didn't want to hear the conversation, but it did stop and make him wonder what the staff was thinking about them. He returned upstairs and dressed in his standard blue jeans and work shirt. He located his hiking boots and put them on. He left the room and headed over to the clinic to check up on Rover. Rover was already up and jumped off the table to stand beside him. Rover easily kept pace with him as he walked to the front of the house. Entering the dining room, he found his sandwich and soup ready for him. He wondered for a minute where Kelly was, but decided she had changed her mind about meeting him here. He sat down and started eating. He called out, "Kelly, can you get a steak out for Rover?" Marguerite came out of the kitchen with a nice steak on a plate. She set it on the floor next to Rover. The cat quickly finished it. Marguerite continued to stand there. She stated, "I'm afraid that I asked her to leave for a little while so I could talk with you." John looked up at her and asked, "what is on your mind?" Marguerite sat down at the table across from him. She looked uncomfortable for a minute and then asked, "When does the other part of our employment begin?" John looked at her in confusion. He asked, "What do you mean?" "Look, when you guys told us the working conditions it was clear that you guys were going to be sexually active around us. Well, we assumed that you intended to involve us as well. We just want to know when you are going to start that part of our employment." John took a bite of his sandwich as a way to make time to come up with an answer. He chewed slowly and finally swallowed. "Who's we?" "Ling, Bill, Bob, and me. Who else is there?" "Oh. We didn't mean to give you the impression that you had to have sex with us when we interviewed you. We just wanted to make sure you wouldn't be offended by anything that you would see here. We hired each of you because of your skills and personalities. So don't worry, we'd never take advantage of you like that," replied John. He added, "You don't have to worry that we'll demand to have sex with you for you to keep your job." "Oh," replied Marguerite hiding her disappointment. She was confused about how she was to report his answer back to the others. She wondered if they would be as disappointed as she was. John ate some of the soup and took another bite of his sandwich. He looked up to see Marguerite still sitting there with a funny expression on her face. He tried to make sense of her behavior. His thoughts were in turmoil because of the conversation with Kelly and the one that he overheard. Then it dawned on him, someone had to be pushing the talk button for him to overhear it. He asked, "You didn't want to hear that answer, did you?" "Not really," she answered. "Oh." The silence in the room drug on for an uncomfortable period. John took another bite of his sandwich trying to think things through. He asked, "What would you like to hear? Wait! Don't answer that. What are the others hoping will happen?" Marguerite smiled as she replied, "They're hoping that you guys will come down tonight and each of you will pick one of us to service you." John nodded. He didn't want to commit his wives or husband to anything without talking to them first. He stated, "Let me talk with my wives and husband first." "Thank you." John was curious, "How is it that you were the one to ask?" Marguerite blushed, "Because I want to get Kelly between my legs so bad that I can taste it." John muttered to himself, "she was right and I was wrong." "Pardon?" asked Marguerite although she had understood him clearly. John stood up. "The lunch was magnificent. Maybe I ought to let you cook more often." "Let me fix something special for tonight, please?" "Okay." John patted his stomach. "I have to get to work on a special project. Let everyone know what time you want to serve dinner. Oh, and thank you for telling me your concerns about the conditions of employment here. I'll get right on it and we'll have everything fixed up in no time." John wandered to the back of the house. Rover followed along beside him. He went from door to door knocking and asking if they could meet him in the library at four for a family meeting. He called Jim to come at four. At four everyone gathered in the library wondering why John had called the meeting. John cleared his throat and then stated, "Ah, we have a problem with our staff." Ed looked up at John in surprise. He had interviewed every member of the staff and he knew their intentions were good. He had not heard anyone say anything that suggested his or her intentions had changed. He asked, "What kind of problem?" John stated, "Apparently, they believed they were hired to provide sexual services as well as their normal duties." Kelly was well aware of Marguerite's desire for Beth or her, but she was not aware of the full scope of the issue. She also knew how uncomfortable John was with the subject. She asked, "What did you say when you learned of this?" John stated, "I learned this from Marguerite and told her that we had no expectations concerning sex with the staff. I told her that their job security had nothing to do with providing sexual services." Jim stated, "Excellent. So what is the problem?" "Apparently, that is the problem." Ed stated, "I don't follow." John looked very uncomfortable. He wondered how to put what he understood from his conversation into words. He blurted out, "They want us to take advantage of them." Beth laughed, "Do you mean they are complaining that we aren't fucking them?" "Exactly." Ed frowned. "What ever gave them the impression that was part of their jobs?" Jim thought about it for a moment. He cleared his throat nervously. "I included a section in their contracts to the effect that should sexual relations occur between the staff and a member of the household, that it was to be understood that all such relations were voluntary. I also went on to write protective disclaimers that would protect you from lawsuits." Kelly asked, "Why would you include a clause like that in their work contract?" Jim stated, "To protect you guys. You know those kinds of things occur and putting a limit on liability is the easiest way to protect you from lawsuits. John is very rich and your family actually has considerable assets. However, one sexual harassment lawsuit could wipe out the family assets." John frowned. "I didn't realize that. I suppose that and our hiring discussion about how they might encounter us in compromising situations might lead them to conclude that." Jim stated, "So what are you going to do about it?" Ed was quiet for several minutes. Then he stated, "First, I think Jim should talk to each of them individually. If he determines that they really want that sort of relationship in the workplace, then I suggest we let them have it. They are a good staff and I wouldn't want to harm the long term relationship by denying them such a work benefit." Beth asked, "Why did it come up so suddenly? They've worked with us for more than a year." Kelly put a hand over her mouth and replied, "I think it may have something to do with the dinner last week. I think they thought that was the beginning and they are getting a little frustrated at nothing happening." John nodded, "You're probably right. I guess I would have to second Ed's suggestion." Kelly and Beth echoed their sentiment. Beth turned to Jim as she asked, "Would you mind interviewing them?" "I'd rather have Sherry do the interviews. Nothing is worse than being grilled by a lawyer about such a subject. I'll write up a little clarifying contract that makes it a job benefit that they can exercise on their initiative. You will want to work out some mechanism by which they may request their benefit." Beth stated, "Well, take your time. My period just started and I don't want to have to say no the first time I'm asked." Kelly, who expected her period to start any time, nodded her agreement. "Same here." "Okay, I think we are all in agreement here," stated Ed. Jim made a motion suggesting that he wanted to add something. "Ah, I realize this may come to you as a shock, but it may be possible that a few others that work for you may want similar benefits." John really looked surprised, "Who?" "Well, how about Jack and Jenny?" John was quiet for a moment. He hadn't thought that their current working relationship might have put up barriers between him and his old friends. He looked around the room. Kelly and Beth were watching him carefully. Ed was staring off into space trying to ignore the tension. Beth broke the tension by stating, "We should put together a benefits package that rewards some business associates with quasi-family status." "I don't understand." Beth stated, "Look, we have some business partners that are also friends, but the business seems to get in the way of the friendship. I know you are very close to Jack and Jenny. Betsy told me about them that morning. Perhaps we ought to allow them to become secondary members of the family with a guestroom in the back of the house, the right to visit when they wish, and engage in other family activities." Kelly's eyes lit up as she thought it through. She added, "You know, that's a very good idea. It keeps staff and friends separate, even if our friends are in a business relationship with us." Ed nodded as he stated, "You know, I like it. I have no idea who would like to sleep with this old cowboy and rock hound, but if there is someone crazy enough to desire it..." John was ambivalent about the idea. He was hurt in a way that his business relationships might have gotten in the way of friendships. If this was the only way to knock down that barrier, then so be it. He stated, "Okay, I won't object." Jim looked very animated for a change. He stated, "I'll get to work on this right away. I'll lay it all out for you. Can we meet next week to discuss the details?" "Sure. Same day, same time?" The group left the library. Beth and Ed followed John to his room. When they reached his room, Ed asked, "Can we visit with you for a while?" John nodded and held the door open for them. He ushered them in and followed. Beth looked around the room. She stated, "It never ceases to amaze me. You are one of the richest men in the country, but your living quarters wouldn't make a slum tenant jealous. One chair?" John was relieved at the change in subject. He laughed as he answered, "I have the lawn chairs up on the palisade. I prefer to sit up there and watch the stars." Ed sat down on the floor leaning his back against the wall. He had gotten used to sitting this way when visiting John. John settled himself on the floor with his legs folded tailor fashion. Beth sat in the chair, unembarrassed by the grin that Ed shot in her direction. Ed stated, "you are bothered by the subject of the meeting today." "Yes, I am. Making love is not a job benefit. It is an act of giving between people that care about each other." Beth smiled at John with tears forming in her eyes. She understood his pain when he put it in that fashion and loved him for it. She asked, "Did you ever think that these people may want to give themselves to us in that way? That maybe, just maybe, they can't find any other way to do so." "Huh?" "John, you are too good. They want to make love with us, but they haven't come knocking on our doors. Maybe they don't act because they think we aren't willing. Your fear of taking advantage of them makes you blind to their desires." ------- Chapter 21 The house was extremely quiet. Beth and Kelly were at work. They had been accompanied by Ling and Bob to serve as bodyguards. Tiger was at the hospital with them. John, Ed, Shadow, and Rover were in the informal living room getting ready for the days events. Marguerite was in the kitchen where she lived for most of the day and Bill was in his office taking care of the bills. John fiddled with the remote control for the entertainment center trying to get a cable news network. He pressed a button and the stereo came on. He punched another button and a CD started playing. He hit the off button several times. Everything went dead and then turned on again. He punched the TV button and nothing happened. He hit the power button and the TV came on, but there was no sound. The stereo was still on. He was tempted to throw the remote control across the room. He muttered, "Who picked out this system anyway? What's wrong with old fashioned televisions that you turn on and turn off?" Ed stepped in front of him with his hand out to receive the remote control. "Give it to me." Ten key presses later, Ed had the television on, the sound coming through the speakers, and the channel set to the news station. He smiled as he stated, "Now that wasn't so bad." John grumbled and went to the refrigerator. He poured two glasses of iced tea and brought them back to the couch. He set them on coasters on the coffee table in front of the sofa. "Have some tea." Ed smiled, "We still have half an hour before anything starts." John nodded absently. He finally answered, "I know. This is killing me." "Are you worried or excited?" John paced a little around the room. He answered, "I'm worried about whether it is going to go well. I'm excited about seeing the plan go into action. I feel constrained by the fact that I'm here rather than out there somewhere. I couldn't even stand the feeling of clothes this morning." Ed laughed. "I noticed that. You're still naked." John looked at Ed with a large grin. "What about you?" Ed's laughter carried through the room. "Same here. I got dressed this morning and found myself pulling the clothes off before I hit the door." "I need to be doing something." John walked over to the intercom and pressed a button. "Marguerite, could you fix a snack tray for us? We're in the informal living room." Her reply came back, "You already asked me five minutes ago." "Sorry, I forgot." Ed smiled at John's nervousness. He hadn't seen John this nervous since Betsy had visited him after their breakup. "John, how about I give you a blow job? Maybe that will help you relax." "I'm too tense to get it up." Ed laughed. "Same here. That's why I offered to give you one rather than ask you for one." John looked around the room. There were papers detailing the schedule of events were piled up on the coffee table. The pile was almost nine inches tall. The speakerphone was plugged in and he had tested it by calling Beth at work. He walked around the room again. Shadow and Rover watched him pace. Tired of it all, both cats got up and strolled out of the room. John watched them as they left the room and entered the atrium. They vanished amongst the plants. He always marveled at how quickly they could vanish so quickly. Bill entered the room and stopped abruptly. His eyes locked on John's cock, but his conscious mind didn't make the connection that John was naked. He announced, "Uh, Ann Moore is here to see you two." John absently stated, "Bring her in." He wondered if she was here to complete the argument that they had on their last visit to the office. She had been upset and he hadn't been all of that helpful. He walked over the refrigerator and poured a glass of iced tea. While pouring the tea, he stated, "I guess we probably owe her an apology." "I'm sure we will pretty soon," answered Ed with a grin. He had just realized that Ann was about to be brought into a room with two naked men. He was about to suggest that they go get dressed when Bill returned to the room. "What's going..." Ann, not yet in the room, was complaining already. She stopped the moment she saw the two men in the room and their lack of attire. Her eyes never reached as high as their faces. John walked over to her and handed the glass to her. He was totally oblivious to her discomfort. He stated, "Make yourself comfortable on the sofa. You will want to examine the stack of papers on the coffee table." Ann stated, "Mike ordered me to come here." Ed stated, "That makes sense to me. We should have invited you, but we were so caught up in this that thought didn't even cross our minds." She had finally gotten over her embarrassment at the naked men in front of her. Her anger at being left out of whatever was going on returned ten-fold. She stomped her foot. "Invited me for what?" John's voice was soothing as he said, "Ann, please read the papers on the coffee table. They will explain everything." Ann sat on the couch near Ed and picked up the first page. She started reading the material on the page with a frown. It was a timed agenda for a raid to take place on a restaurant in New York. The individuals targeted in the raid were identified, as were the agents. She picked up the next page and studied it. This was for another raid that took place the same time in Washington D.C. She looked up at the stack of papers on the coffee table. She looked at her watch and realized the raids were to start in five minutes. She stated, "How come I didn't hear of this before now?" John bowed to Ed. Ed answered, "No one has heard of this before now. The lead agents were woken this morning by a call from Mike Holden and directed to pick up a box of instructions. Inside the box were specific instructions for each agent. The instructions for the lead agent were to notify all participants to meet at specific locations at a specific time. Once there, individual agents were given their instructions according to a timetable." "How many raids are there?" John smiled, "Almost eight hundred spread across twenty cities." "This is huge! You've got local police, state police, ATF, Federal Marshals, and the IRS involved as well." "Darn right." Ed sounded as proud as he felt. "The security on it has been very tight. As of the last time that I was in your office, only three people knew what was being developed. John and I were two of them." "You've been busy!" John smiled as he thought about the past ten days. They hadn't been busy working at all. They had spent most of the time playing. John had even gone hiking for three days. John answered, "Well, we did put a couple of months on it." Ed had been hard pressed to help John with this effort and finish his degree. He complained, "It was closer to a year." Marguerite entered the room pushing a cart loaded with all kinds of snacks. They ranged from the healthy vegetables to the unhealthy potato chips. Ed frowned when he realized that she was still wearing the body jewelry and waist chain. At least she had added a chain mail bikini bottom to it. She stated that she was going to wear that outfit at work until someone broke down and did something about it. She took a very long time to position the cart. Her eyes flicked between John and Ed constantly. Ann looked up at Marguerite with raised eyebrows. She knew John was involved in a weird lifestyle, but she hadn't realized it was this strange. Ed decided the whole situation was becoming surreal. "John, do you realize that we have a guest and we are both naked? Did you notice that Marguerite is still protesting her work conditions by wearing her little outfit?" John looked around noticing the situation for the first time. He apologized, "Oh, I'm so sorry!" Ed watched Marguerite leave the room. She was smiling at John's discomfort. Ed turned to Ann, "I must apologize. You caught us on a bad day. We don't normally walk around the house like this when guests are here. Marguerite has been protesting her work conditions and has taken to dressing like that to make a point. Our lawyer is negotiating a new contract with her even now." Ann laughed, "I've had problem employees before, but none of them chose that way to express their unhappiness." "Well, I apologize for all this." John repeated. Ann glanced down at his crotch and licked her lips. She wondered how it was that both men were extremely well endowed. She was lost in her thoughts when Ed jumped up suddenly and shouted, "Oh yeah!" She glanced at the television. The news anchor was acting very flustered. She listened as it was announced, "We are getting reports that a large number of raids have just been launched here in New York. Oh, wait a minute, we seem to be getting similar reports from Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, and..." The telephone rang and Ed answered it in speakerphone mode, "Control Central. Report!" "This is city 4, group 2, raid 1, we have captured 9 and confiscated $200,000 in cash. Drugs and paraphernalia were present. They are nailed." Ed smiled, "Thanks. I'll hear from you after raid 2." John went to the fax machine and pulled out the paper that listed the names of the people arrested. He went over to another sheet containing the names of the important people they had wanted to catch and started marking off the names the list. Ed scrambled through the stack of papers and pulled out the one he was looking for. He wrote the basic report on it and put it in a separate stack. He smiled at Ann in elation. The telephone rang again. The report this time was from city 9, group 6, and raid 1. They had captured 4 and confiscated 500,000 in cash. Ann searched through the pile and pulled out the paper with the title that had been given. She handed it to Ed, who marked the results on it. The telephone was ringing constantly. They went through close to one hundred calls. It took less than twenty minutes as each call was kept short. Ann took off her jacket and started to roll up her sleeves. She was sweating from the tension. She looked around and then took her shirt off. Neither man noticed. When the calls stopped, they turned their attention to the news. The news anchor was stating, "We don't have all of the details yet, but it appears that massive raids on organized crime have been launched all around the country. We are trying to locate someone who knows what is going on." John came and sat down on the couch. He smiled, "We can relax. We have ten minutes before the next round of raids start." Ann asked, "Can I use your pool for a minute? I need to relax and I find a pool very relaxing." John smiled, "Sure, it's right through that door there. Towels are kept in the cabinet in the corner." Ed looked at John and remarked, "Now I'm excited enough that I could use that blow job we were talking about earlier!" John laughed and joked back, "I know what you mean, but this is not the time for it." The men went over to the snacks and started munching. They knew they would only have about ten minutes before the calls started. Between handfuls of food, they congratulated each other on the success of the first raids. The news station was going crazy. Live shots from all over the country were being put up on the screen as the press chased cop cars to find out what was happening. Ann came back into the room. She was topless with a large towel around her waist. Her hair was still wet. She grabbed a couple of pieces of fruit, "I can't believe how extensive this operation is. You guys are working miracles. I looked at the expectations for each raid as I found them. You're hurting them big time. It'll take them years to recover." John smiled, "You haven't even seen the big stuff yet." "We better get back to our positions. Calls should start coming in any minute now." Even as Ed and Ann sat on the couch, the telephone rang. Ed answered, "Control Central. Report!" "This is city 3, group 5, raid 2, we have captured 3 and confiscated their computers. We found records for money laundering on the computers. They are nailed." Ed thanked them and hung up. He gave a shout, "We took down a money laundering operation!" The telephone continued to ring. Short conversations were followed with marking sheets with the reported results. John continued to scratch off names on the master list as additional faxes arrived. The activities now were a little more involved than before. The raids took longer, but the confiscated materials were much greater. They were taking out drug manufacturing sites, warehouses, and fencing operations. Finally, it was quiet and all three sat back on the couch. John stated, "It's going to take them an hour to get all of the evidence removed. We've got a little time to kill." Ed suggested, "How about a swim and the hot tub?" John asked, "Should I call Bill in to butle?" Ann stated, "There's no such word as butle." Ed laughed. "Go ahead. My iced tea glass was empty and I couldn't get away to fill it." John corrected Ann, "There's no word describing what a butler does. Therefore, we invented butle to describe his activities. A butler butles." "Oh, I see." John actually looked at Ann for a moment and realized that she was just as naked as Ed and him. He had meant to get dressed earlier, but the excitement had distracted him. Now he guessed that it didn't matter. He debated between calling down Marguerite or Bill. He knew that Marguerite would be busy getting ready for tonight's dinner. He went to the intercom and pressed the talk switch. "Bill, we need someone to butle." Bill attempted a bad imitation of Igor. "Yeth, Mather." John laughed as he retorted, "You'd better be a hunchback when you get down here." "Yeth, Mather." John turned to head towards the pool. Ann looked at him, "You have strange relations with your staff." "Thank you. It almost makes having me work for you seem normal." Ann laughed at that. Nothing could make having John work for her seem normal. She voiced her conviction, "There's nothing that could make it seem normal." They went into the room with the swimming pool. Ed was floating on his back slowly moving across the pool. John entered the pool and took up a similar position. Ann went into the pool at one end. She pushed off and started swimming the length of the pool using a breaststroke. They swam that way for half an hour, then John and Ed went into the hot tub. Ed turned to John and commented in a low voice, "She's never going to be able to look at us the same way again." "You think so?" Ed stated, "Her eyes hardly ever leave our crotches." John laughed as he replied, "Well, we are rather large." "She's pretty." "Yes. Funny that I never noticed that in the office." Ann stepped out of the pool and walked over to the hot tub. She slowly got into it. Once settled, she stated, "Well, this is strange." "What?" "Sharing a hot tub with two coworkers with none of us wearing clothes." "Not odd at all. Most cultures are rather more relaxed about nudity than our culture. Most Druids could care less about clothes. The morning after our wedding, I was talking to a bunch of the Druids. Half of them were naked. Of course, that chased away several of the caterers that were packing up." Ann laughed. She was amazed at how easy it was to relax with them outside of a work environment. When they worked, their concentration of what they were doing was total. Anyone or anything that got in the way, had better watch out. Those two would run right over the impediment without even noticing it was there. Yet, when they relaxed, their attention for those around them was almost just as intense. When they talked to you, they listened to every word. She asked, "What about sex?" Ed laughed, "We are even more relaxed about that. There is nothing better that you can do than to please a person and bring them pleasure." John stated, "The exception is when the other one wants nothing to do with it. Then it becomes rape and that is the worst thing we can do." Ed added, "True. There's nothing casual about sex though. We just prefer to view that making love is a gift that people can give each other. It is a gift you can give as many times as you desire." Ann sighed. She leaned back and enjoyed the feeling of the water wash over her. She stated, "It sounds so easy the way you say it. Too bad life isn't more like that." John asked, "Why isn't life like that for you?" The question startled her. She hadn't ever thought of living any differently than she did. Did her job make her feel like her options were limited? She pondered the question. Ed interrupted her thoughts with the announcement, "Time for us to get back to work." They returned to their original working positions. The news anchor had just gone to a live broadcast in front of the FBI headquarters. The reporter was stating, "I am standing in front of FBI headquarters here in Washington D.C. I just talked to the public affairs officer and was told that they would not be able to release any information until they knew what was going on. More than one individual here has expressed surprise at learning about the raids across the country." The telephone started ringing again. The three of them returned to work. There were just as many calls as before. The raids were capturing more people and goods than they had predicted. Everything was going according to their plan. In this round of raids, the groups were usually caught packing up to leave. This led to the confiscation of more drugs, stolen goods, and money than the previous raids. Ed was smiling broadly as he listened to the reports coming in. Bill refilled their glasses and brought snacks to them as they worked. Sitting back after this round of raids, Ann shook her head in amazement. She asked, "How did you plan all this?" John smiled and then explained, "We took police reports and FBI reports. Looked at the times and places where things had gone on in the past. We used that to predict where people would be and when they would be there. So far, we're batting a nearly perfect score." Ed nodded his agreement. "Only four raids have netted nothing." John smiled, "If we get fifty percent on the next set of raids, I'll be amazed." Ann asked, "Why?" Ed answered, "We tried to predict where they would be going after the first sets of raids. We figure this one will net the big guys with lots of money in their possession." John stated, "We want to get them for tax evasion." She looked at the paper on top of the small stack that was left. The raids started in two hours. She looked up, "Why did you stagger them like that?" "We wanted to give them time to get to their hideouts." "How will you know where they will go?" Ed smiled, "We don't know yet. We are tracking their cell phones." John asked, "What do we want to do for the next two hours?" Ed shook his head, "I don't know. I can't believe how tiring this is." John nodded, "yeah. Let's just sit back and take it easy for a while." Ann looked at the two men. She inquired, "I know almost nothing about you two. How often do you guys just relax?" Ed answered, "Well, I'm getting ready to work on my doctorate. I consult here and there concerning minerals. I guess I'm one of the leading experts in determining what mine a particular stone was mined. However, it doesn't leave me much time to relax." John stated, "I'm obliged to continue my researches. Right now, I'm working on a new project. We've also got the charities that we run. I still get called away at times to save someone. I really don't have much spare time, either." "Wow. Maybe I've been too hard on you two. I guess I keep thinking of you as FBI agents with a normal home life." Bill came over and refilled their glasses. John looked up at Bill and asked, "Bill, what do you think of the activities in this house?" Bill shook his head, "You guys work harder than we do. I bet you put in eighteen-hour days, seven days a week. Those two wives of yours, they work just as hard. They work all kinds of shifts at the hospital. Then they work on the charity." Ann asked, "What charity?" Ed stated, "The Fusion Foundation." "You guys actually run the Fusion Foundation." Ann looked shocked. The Fusion Foundation had become the largest charity organization in the world. It had provided lifetime funding for various chairs at Universities all across the country. A catastrophe response organization had been created. It had helped put out several forest fires, restored areas after floods, and cleaned up after tornadoes. The group showed up with food, water, blankets, clothes, temporary shelters, heavy moving equipment, and medical supplies. Another organization established by them provided medical care. Both organizations would hire just about anyone that showed up and was willing to live in the provided housing. John stated, "We had better run it. I set it up." Ann sighed as she stated, "You know, I keep forgetting you're that John Carter." John laughed and agreed with her. "Don't worry. I keep forgetting that too." "So how do you function?" John shrugged, "When you work on something, you put all of your concentration on it. When you play, you extract every ounce of pleasure." Ann asked, "You play?" Ed told her about the medieval evening that they had. He told about the water pistol fights they sometimes had in the atrium. John told about the time that they had a paper airplane contest where they tried to see whose plane flew the longest distance. She listened in envy at the kinds of things they did. She understood that they were rich, but what they had done didn't require one to be rich. There were cheap ways to go about the same thing. It only required keeping a sense of play. She realized that sometime or another, she had lost that sense of play. She wanted to be alone. She asked, "Is there a rest room I could use?" John and Ed looked at each other and realized there wasn't a rest room just for guest use in the informal part of the house. Bill came to the rescue. "If you would follow me, I'll take you to one." Outside the room, she leaned over to Bill and asked for a place where she could be alone for a few minutes. Bill pointed to the atrium and told her about the bench in the center. She wandered into the atrium taking her time. When she reached the center, she looked around for a second. Seeing no one around, she sat down finally allowing herself to cry. John and Ed were looking for her all over. When Kelly came home from work, they told her that Ann had gone missing. Kelly was the one that found her in the atrium an hour later. Shadow and Rover were sitting among the plants watching her. Ann was still crying. Kelly asked, "What's the matter, honey?" Ann sniffed, "You wouldn't understand." Kelly asked, "Did John or Ed hurt you?" "No, they didn't!" Kelly hugged her tightly and just held on to her. Ann started crying even harder. After she calmed down, Kelly asked again, "What's the matter?" Ann cried, "I've forgotten how to live." Kelly cooed, "That's a rough one, but it's not terminal." "Not terminal?" Kelly stated, "You just need to learn how to play again. It's not that tough." Ann turned to her, "Can you teach me?" Kelly thought about it for a minute. A smile came to her as she had an idea. She stated, "Come with me." Kelly led Ann to Marguerite. In the kitchen, Kelly simply stated, "Marguerite, I need you to do me a favor." "What do you need?" "I need you to teach her to play." Kelly winked at Marguerite when Ann wasn't looking. She smiled, "I want you to have lots of fun." Marguerite smiled, "Yes, I have a very good idea what to do!" When Kelly went to tell John and Ed what happened, she found them jumping up and down in joy. John turned to Kelly, "We did it! We did it!" "What did you do?" "We wiped them out!" In this kitchen, Ann helped Marguerite cook while they chatted about playing. By the time dinner was ready, Ann was dancing along with Marguerite as she helped put the finishing touches on the meal. She could not believe how much fun Marguerite had while cooking. Marguerite talked to the food as she cooked. She made jokes and talked in funny accents to the food. She had laughed so hard that her sides ached when Marguerite had stuffed her fist inside a chicken and made it dance on the counter. ------- Chapter 22 John stared at the cream colored envelope as if it were a serpent about to strike. He knew the gist of the contents; it was an invitation to spend the night with one of the staff. The only question remaining concerned the identity of the individual who had sent the invitation. Each staff member was allowed to issue an invitation once a month to one of the family members. Since the extended benefits program had gone into effect three month ago, he had not received an invitation. This was his first. John opened the envelope, waiting would not lessen the significance of the contents. He pulled out the paper inside and stared at it. To his surprise, it was from quiet little Ling; the one staff member that seldom looked him in the eye. She was the last one from whom he had expected to get such an invitation. Of the whole staff, he knew her the least well. Her invitation was for tonight at seven and included dinner. It was now the middle of the afternoon and he was alone in the house. Ed was at school working on his research. Beth and Kelly were at work in the hospital. He didn't have anyone to ask for advice on how to handle this evening. He walked around the house. Rover didn't follow him around, recognizing perhaps that it was more of a nervous pacing than preparation to go somewhere. He wandered around until he encountered Bob working on the plants in the atrium. He stopped and watched for a minute, "Hello, Bob." "Oh, hello John." "This atrium looks really great. You're doing a good job on it." Bob stood up and faced John, "Thank you, sir." John looked puzzled at the use of the word sir. He had never insisted on the use of formalities like that. He thought about the relationship that he understood existed between Bob and Ling. Perhaps he could help him make the evening nice for Ling. He frowned, "Can I ask you something?" Bob nodded, "Sure, is there something that you would like me to do?" "Nothing like that," replied John. He continued, "I just need some advice." "You are asking me for advice?" Bob was rather surprised. Everyone went to John for advice. As far as he knew, John never sought out advice. He didn't know how John interacted with his family, but John stayed out of the staff's lives more than anyone else. He didn't know that John regularly sought out advice. "Yes." "I'll try." Bob sounded doubtful. John nodded, "Um, someone invited me to their room tonight. I, um, haven't done this before. What should I do to help make them comfortable?" Bob knew that this was John's first time to be invited by a staff member. The entire staff had discussed who would be the first to invite John. They felt bad that no one had invited him for two months and decided that ignoring him for three months would hurt his feelings. For the most part, the staff was rather intimidated by John. It wasn't anything that he did. He was extremely considerate and always concerned about their needs. It was that none of them felt secure enough in their sexuality to give him something special. Ling eventually was selected because she was the least adamant about not inviting him. She actually seemed indifferent about it. He shrugged, "Just show up." "Bob, you don't understand. I'm very concerned about hurting this person by accident. I don't want to do anything wrong." John looked at Bob. Bob was rather taken aback. He hadn't thought that John could possibly be insecure about visiting the staff. He stated, "Ling likes Lilies." "You know who invited me?" John wondered how Bob would feel about Ling inviting him for the evening. Bob laughed as he stated, "Everyone knows that Ling invited you." "Everyone?" "Yes, everyone." John felt there was something significant in that. He asked, "Even Ed, Beth, and Kelly?" "Yes." "Oh, I didn't realize that." He was really out of the loop on this invitation stuff. He wondered if the staff didn't feel comfortable around him. Bob asked, "What are you worried about?" "She seems so emotionally fragile to me. I'm afraid that I'll hurt her." Bob frowned as he stated, "As far as I know, you've never hurt anyone. There's something else going on here. Tell me about it." "I just feel like we are taking advantage of you guys. I worry that you are doing this out of fear for your jobs or as an obligation. I just want to make sure that everyone is doing for the right reason, that they want to do it." John wanted to kick himself. He wasn't putting this into words very well. Bob looked incredulous, "Out of fear? No, if you remember we asked for it." John nodded, "I know. Never mind me, I'm just slow to accept this." Bob licked his lips nervously. He was about to take the plunge, "we worry about how you view us. You are so perfect, considerate, and capable that we feel insignificant next to you." John stepped back with his mouth open in shock. He realized that they were actually intimidated by him. He wondered how could they feel that way. He had never criticized them about how they did their jobs. He thought he had always accepted them as they were. They were all good people. He pursed his lips and blew a puff of air in a near whistle. He asked, "What have I done to create that impression?" "It's more like what you don't do. You don't make mistakes. You never get angry. You never criticize. The rest of us make mistakes, get angry, and get critical of each other. We're human and you're not." "I swear, I am human!" Bob laughed as he challenged, "Well, you need to fuck up big time to convince us!" John thanked Bob, "Thanks, I needed to hear what you had to say. I can appreciate how difficult it was for you to tell me this. Now I need to think about it." Bob recognized that John was truly appreciative of his comments. He stated, "You're welcome." John went to the swimming pool. He slowly stripped off his clothes and dove in. The cool water was a shock to his system, but he immediately began swimming. He swam laps working out his frustrations while trying to decide what to do to fix things. After a hundred laps he felt tired and stopped in the shallow end of the pool. He stood there a minute as water drained from his hair and beard. He pulled himself out of the pool. He looked at the clock on the wall and saw that he still had four hours before he was to show up at Ling's room. He wondered what he could do between now and then. He decided to go to a florist and get some Lilies, stop at a jewelry store and pick up something nice, and then get dressed up for the evening. On second thought, he decided that buying her jewelry would set a bad precedent. At seven sharp, a very nervous John stood outside Ling's door. He carried a bouquet of Lilies. Ed, Beth, and Kelly had watched him leave his room with smiles on their faces. Bob, Bill, and Marguerite watched with a feeling of concern as John made his way there. They would have bet that he would be right on time, but no one would have taken the bet against it. He was exactly on time. He knocked on the door, holding his breath and halfway hoping that she wouldn't answer. He held the flowers behind his back, but the size of the bouquet made it a pointless exercise. She slowly opened the door and then gestured for him to enter. "Please come in." John looked around for a second and then stepped through the door. Ling closed the door behind him. John turned to her, "Here, these flowers are for you." She looked at the flowers. "They're Lilies." John nodded, "Yes, Bob told me that you liked them." "Oh," replied Ling as she accepted the flowers. She had hoped that he would try something different. She added, "let me put them in a vase. I'll be right back." "Okay." John looked around the room. She had decorated the room with Victorian style furniture. There were actually lace dollies on the furniture. It did not fit with his image of her. He was expecting something a little more oriental, rather than British. She came back in the room, carrying a vase containing the flowers and set it upon a table. John stated, "You have impeccable taste. This room is beautiful. I can imagine you sitting in here in a Victorian style dress with your hair up in bun. Maybe drinking a cup of hot tea and sitting here very properly reading a novel." Ling blushed, he had identified exactly how she spent her evenings. "How did you know that?" "Pardon?" "I asked you a simple question. How did you know that?" John was surprised, "I just said that I could imagine you doing that." Ling was embarrassed. It seemed to her that John could read her like a book. She stated, "Please take a seat." "Thank you." John sat down on a chair. It looked nice, but was actually rather uncomfortable. His discomfort paled beside the discomfort that Ling displayed. He smiled at Ling and stated, "Relax, I'm not an ogre." His comment only served to make Ling a little more uncomfortable. With a weak smile, she stated, "I'll try." He suddenly laughed. "I feel like a teenage boy on his first date. My palms are sweaty and I have no idea what to say. I keep wondering what I'm supposed to do next." His comment made Ling realize that he was just as uncomfortable as she was. She giggled and agreed with him, "Me too." John got a sudden idea. He stood up and walked over to Ling. He bent down and gave her a gentle kiss. He straightened up, "Now that we've got the first kiss out of the way, we should be able to relax." His action had Ling completely by surprise. She found herself responding to his kiss despite her nervousness. When he had stopped, she was just getting ready to respond. However, it did release a lot of the tension in the room. She laughed and said, "Oh, that's a novel approach to breaking the ice." John smiled, "You're very pretty when you laugh. Your eyes sparkle." A shiver went through Ling. She had waited a long time to hear him complement her. She shyly looked down. "Thank you. Do you like Sushi?" John looked surprised. "I've never tried it." Ling smiled and stated, "Well, I hope you like it. I've set it up so that we can make our own. It's kind of fun." John smiled. "Sounds like fun. Have you made Sushi before?" "Once or twice. A friend of mine had a party and people made their own rolls. It was one of the best parties that I ever attended." John laughed as he thought of the party that he had thrown here one night. That was a blast. Maybe they should do things like that more often. He asked, "Do you think we should throw some parties here more often?" "Definitely. I really enjoyed the last one. Did you know that the owner of the store added some gifts in the packages for the staff?" John was surprised. "No, what did he add?" "He added some body jewelry. It's very pretty." John shook his head, "So that's where Marguerite got the stuff she was wearing. I had wondered about that. Not that I was complaining." "So you liked?" "Well, I noticed and liked it a lot. She has a classic female body type that men find very desirable. It was hard not to say anything." Ling burst out laughing. She remembered the number of times that Marguerite had come back furious that John and Ed so effectively ignored her outfit. "You have no idea how frustrated you and Ed made her. That day of the great raid, she came back to the kitchen and threw pans around in a fury. She kept saying, not even a twitch in your cocks." "We were both so nervous that day that we couldn't have gotten an erection if our lives depended upon it." Ling stated, "Lets go into the dining room and try to make some Sushi." Twenty minutes later, John had fingers completely covered with sticky white rice. He held out his hands like monster claws and growled, "Watch out little lady, the rice monster has risen from the patty!" Ling laughed. She couldn't believe how funny John could be. He made jokes almost the whole time they were fixing the Sushi. She retorted, "Does the rice monster think the little lady is going to run?" "He's hoping she will. The chase is part of the fun!" John finally got one of the rolls correctly fashioned. He looked at it for a second and realized that it might be a very good camping food. One small fish could make several rolls and become a filling meal. He was going to have to check into it and find out some more. Rice was relatively easy to carry in a backpack. He stepped back, "A masterpiece." Ling looked over at it, "Wow that looks great! Mine looks like a cigar." He took the knife and cut his sushi roll into six pieces. It joined the lopsided pile on his plate. He looked at the plate and decided that was more than enough to eat. He looked at her Sushi, "If I were to light that up, it would give a new dimension to the term smoked fish." Ling cracked up laughing. She looked at her plate and decided that it was full. She said, "alright. Let's taste this stuff and see if it is any good." John smiled until he saw Ling pick up a pair of the chopsticks and pick up one of the pieces of Sushi. He picked up the chopsticks and struggled to pick up a piece of Sushi. He finally got the piece trapped in the sticks when the sticks crossed on him and shot the piece across the table. Ling noticed and giggled. In a way, watching him struggle through the meal had made him seem more human. She came around to his side of the table and showed him how to use the chopsticks. She stood behind him and helped position his hand. Her touch was gentle and very sensual. It took a little while, but John finally got the knack of using chopsticks. They ate the meal making small talk and occasionally feeding each other. John found that he enjoyed the Sushi tremendously. The entire dinner had been relaxing and lots of fun. He sat back and sipped the hot tea from the little cup. He sighed, "That was excellent." Ling laughed, "As you can see, I struggled in the kitchen all day." John gave a sly smile. "If you work that hard at everything, I'm going to be worn out." Ling blushed. "You have no idea." John looked at Ling, appreciating her as a woman rather than an employee. He complemented her by saying, "I like it when you wear your hair down like that." Ling stood up and walked around the table. She took his hand. He took the hint and stood up. She led him into the bedroom where a four poster bed dominated the room. She let go of his hand and unbuttoned his shirt. He reached up to undress her, but she shook her head. Once his shirt was off, she knelt down and removed his shoes and socks. She then unbuckled his belt, struggling a little with it. John could feel the blood moving into his cock; swelling it but not making it rise. She unzipped his pants and slowly pulled his pants down around his feet. He stepped out of them. He was left standing, wearing only his boxer shorts. She remained kneeling in front of him. She reached up and slowly pulled his shorts down. When his cock was freed from the boxers, she gasped at the size of it and realized that it wasn't even completely hard yet. She led him to the bed and he sat down. Ling stood in front of him watching his cock. She started to undo her blouse, one button at a time. She started at the bottom of her blouse and worked her way up. When she unbuttoned the last button, it was clear that she wasn't wearing a bra underneath. He expected her to remove the top, but she left it on. As she moved to undo the button to her skirt, the blouse moved giving him tantalizing glimpses of her breasts. His cock swelled even more. She smiled as she watched the effect that her body was having upon him. She slowly unzipped her skirt and let it fall to the floor. Her white thong panties contrasted with her dark oriental skin. His cock became rigid at the vision in front of him. She trembled with anticipation, unable to believe her eyes. Her cunt was getting very wet just looking at him. She lowered the thong to her thighs, bending down to do so. Her shirt swung open revealing very nice breasts. He hardly noticed when the thong hit the floor. She stepped out of them and moved to the bed. She looked down at his erection and said, "I can see that you like what you see." "Like is not a strong enough word. It's difficult not to rip that shirt off your body." John replied as his eyes looked up and down her body. Her trimmed cunt was parted and a drop of moisture could be seen on her inner lips. He licked his lips at the thought of being between those legs and sucking the juices from her cunt directly. She dropped the shirt, letting it fall to the floor. He reached out and pulled her to the bed. In moments, they were laying side by side kissing passionately. John slowly worked his way down her body, giving special attention to her neck, breasts, and the soft tender skin on the inside of her arms. She had never realized that her arms were that sensitive, but his kisses brought waves of excitement crashing through her whole body. He reached her pubic area, appreciating the lack of hair. Her nether lips were parted and wet, anticipating the entry of his cock. He ran his tongue along the outer lips, appreciating the sensual aroma of the excited woman. She moaned at the sensations. He ran his tongue along the length of her cunt and she screamed. He started pushing his tongue into her cunt. Her hips responded to his attention. Her juices flowed and he lapped them up. She started screaming, getting louder by the minute. When he started flicking her clit with his tongue, the scream turned into a high pitched shriek as she came. Her legs closed on his head, holding him in place. Her hands held his hair, pulling him into her cunt even harder. When her grip on him relaxed, John went back to tonguing her cunt. He avoided touching her sensitive clit. After a few minutes of fucking her cunt with his tongue, her screams returned at a louder volume than before. He could hear it despite the fact that her legs covered his ears. She came again, her whole body vibrated beneath his tongue. Her cunt leaked so much juice that it ran down his chin. He paused in performing his administrations while she came down a little. He started licking her cunt again. Her hands grabbed his head and pulled it to her clit. He sucked it in, running his tongue around it. She screamed and her body went rigid with legs locked around his head. When she started coming down this time, her screams turned into a trance-like chant, "Fuck me! Fuck me!" John moved up her body and slowly inserted his cock. He had just gotten his head into her nether passage, when she used her legs to pull him into him in one thrust. He started moving slowly, but she started trying to force him to move faster. In frustration, she screamed, "Faster! Harder! Fuck me!" John sped up until he was hammering into her. Sweat ran down his forehead and dripped from his nose. He continued to hammer into her. She was screaming in a very loud voice, "Yes! Yes! Fuck me! Oh, God yes!" She came a forth time. Her legs wrapped around his butt and locked in place. He was buried into her as deep as possible, unable to move. She screamed out her pleasure at the top of her voice. He still hadn't come. When her legs relaxed, he started thrusting again. He was very close to orgasm. He returned to the frantic pace of earlier. Ling cried out, "Oh yes, harder." He slammed into her harder; rapidly approaching the point of no return. Her hips rose to meet him. Her legs wrapped around his body. Again, she started screaming. Her screams came in bursts. With a hard last thrust, he drove himself deep into her as he reached his orgasm. A loud groan escaped from him as he ejaculated into her. She screamed one last time as a final orgasm washed over her. He slowly moved off her and lay beside her. He was drenched in sweat. He looked over at Ling. She was occasionally shaking as aftershocks raced through her system. He put his arm around her and held her closely. With time she began to recover and stared at him wide eyed. He pulled her closer and she snuggled into his arms. They stayed like that for about twenty minutes. Finally, Ling stated, "Thank you so much. That was amazing." John smiled, "You were great." She could feel cum dripping from her cunt. As much as she hated to move, she hated to lie there dripping like that even more. She sat up, "Let me wash for a second." "Would you like company?" Ling smiled, "Sure, let's shower together." John followed Ling into the bathroom appreciating the view she provided as she walked. She turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature. She took his hand and stepped into the shower. He followed her into the shower. As the water cascaded over her body, he reached for the soap. He lathered her, running his hands over her whole body. She luxuriated in the feel of his soapy hands gliding across her skin. He took a great deal of pleasure in soaping her breasts. He took the shampoo and washed her long hair. She sighed in pleasure as his hands ran through her hair. The rinse was slow and sensual. She swore that he was going to come one more time before leaving. She took the soap and started to wash him. Working the soap into a thick lather, she started to wash his cock. Her soft hands caressed his cock and gently played with his balls. Her hands had the desired effect. She increased the strength in her grip and started working her hands along the length of his cock. Her motions became increasingly rapid. She timed her actions to the subtle motions of his hips; taking advantage of his natural rhythm to increase his excitement. She knelt in front of him, continuing her actions. He started groaning as his orgasm boiled in his balls. He was close, "Oh, I'm coming." She moved closer to watch. The shower sprayed on her head. His first spurt of semen shot forth from the end of his cock shot over her head. She continued pumping as spurt after spurt burst forth. Most of it landed on her face. The water running down her face cleaned the cum from her face as fast as it covered her. She was amazed at the power of his orgasm. After another quick rinse, they turned off the shower. Exiting, Ling realized that she was thirsty and hungry. She turned to John, "Would you like a milkshake?" John laughed, "Sure, but if you start jumping up and down, I'm leaving." It took her a minute to get the joke and then she burst out laughing. She asked, "Did I wear you out?" "Yes, you did. Not that I'm complaining." She led him into the kitchen and fixed a pair of chocolate milkshakes. They went into the living room and sat on the couch sipping their drinks through a straw. "This is good." "Which, the shake or sitting here with me?" asked Ling coyly. "The shake is good. Sitting here with you is heavenly." John slowly caressed her breasts. He took another sip of the milkshake and pulled her closer to him so that his arm was around her. They sat like that, not saying anything for another half-hour. The milkshakes were soon finished and John looked at the clock realizing it was after midnight. He was amazed that he had spent so much time in bed with Ling. Ling saw where he was looking and sighed, "You should probably get dressed and go now. I have to get some sleep. I work for this ogre and he'll eat my bones if I'm late to work." John laughed. "Right. He's a real mean one." John stood and went into the bedroom where he quickly got dressed. He knew that he had been dismissed and he didn't want to complicate things by staying. Ling stood as he left the bedroom and joined him. He put his arms around her and kissed her gently. She kissed him back passionately. He was about to increase the level of passion when she stepped back. "A woman could get used to treatment like that very quickly. You had better go now." John kissed her on the forehead and slipped out the door. As he walked to the stairs, he ran into Bob and Marguerite heading back to their rooms. He greeted them, "Hello. Having trouble sleeping?" Bob laughed as he said, "I should have no problems falling asleep now that the screaming is over." "Oh, sorry," answered John embarrassed that they had made so much noise they had kept the others awake. Marguerite looked at him speculatively and then stated, "That's okay, so long as next time it's me making all that noise." Bob laughed as John blushed. John took the easy way out by saying, "Well, good night you two." He went down the stairs and headed to his room. Entering it, he got out his sleeping bag and lay down upon it. He fell asleep very easily that night. He was wakened in the morning by a knock on the door. He glanced at the clock only to discover that he had overslept. He got up and opened the door. Beth was standing there smiling at him as she stated, "Breakfast time, stud." "Huh?" "Marguerite fixed your favorite breakfast. She made biscuits and sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, and coffee. She says that you need to regain your strength after that work out last night." Beth was laughing as she told him. John shook his head as he asked, "Should I dress or does everyone want to inspect the goods?" Beth laughed and ordered, "get dressed. We want you to spend your time eating and not showing off." John invited her in while he dressed. As he slipped on his shirt, he asked, "So what is everyone saying?" Beth smiled, "I don't know. I heard Ling got a lot of pleasure last night." John frowned. "Who did you hear that from?" "I heard it. Her screams and yells could be heard all over the house." "Oh." John blushed and wondered how he was going to face the staff again. ------- Chapter 23 It was early morning when a rattlesnake moved across the desert floor in front of John. He used his walking stick to keep it away. Even Rover gave a wide berth to the snake. Few things lived in the desert that Rover wouldn't challenge, but a rattlesnake was one. Together they waited until it moved well out of their path. They were only a few minutes walk from the top of the hill. From there, they would be able to see for miles all around them. John knew his destination, but didn't really care how long it took him to reach it. He was on vacation and had decided to visit Robert White Feather's grandfather. He looked around for more snakes. He didn't see any so he started to climb. Rover walked along beside him. The cat's eyes continually scanned the desert for signs of movement. He hunted along the way, living primarily off rabbits. The other day, he had brought down a white tail deer. John had eaten some of the venison, but had gone without food the past three days. With a surprising burst of speed the cat bounded into the sagebrush and returned with a rabbit. John settled down to wait for Rover to finish eating. The cat finished the rabbit rather quickly. He'd probably catch another one before the day was over. John stood up and moved towards the top of the hill. They soon reached it. John knelt down and looked around. Below him was a breath taking panorama of desert life. Cactuses and sagebrush littered the landscape. The soil had a rusty tinge to it that hid the life that abounded there. About two miles away someone was watching a flock of grazing sheep. He was amazed there was enough food out here to support a flock of sheep. Of course, the person probably covered close to ten miles a day. He decided that it was best to met the person and let him or her know he was out here. This was reservation land and it was good to be polite. He headed down the hill. The two miles could be covered in thirty or forty minutes. Still, it made sense to take it easy. One didn't live long in a desert by rushing around. Slow and easy was the key to survival out here. He took his time. Soon he could tell that it was a young boy watching the flock. By now, the young boy was watching him. John didn't expect him to move in his direction. John approached the young man slowly. About ten feet away, he squatted letting his thighs support the weight of his body. Rover knelt next to him. John stated, "I'm John Carter." The boy looked at him for a minute, "I know. William Redman is waiting for you." "Thank you for telling me," replied John. He guessed that was the name of Robert's grandfather. He handed an open pack of cigarettes to the boy. The boy took one and lit it. John took one and lit it. He puffed on it like a cigar; he avoided inhaling the smoke. The boy studied the cat for a minute. He had heard stories of wise ones that traveled with animal spirits in physical form. He hadn't quite believed them. He stated, "I'm called Awa Tsireh. It means Cattail Bird." John stated, "The cat's name is Rover." Awa Tsireh smoked the cigarette blowing the smoke up to the sky at times. It was quiet except for the bleating of the sheep and the wind blowing across the land. A hawk flew overhead. John watched it travel. Awa Tsireh asked, "Are you of our tribe?" John puffed a couple of times on the cigarette. It was making him dizzy. "No. I'm a Druid." The boy watched the sheep slowly move away. "Never heard of that tribe." John pet Rover for a minute. "We are a small tribe." The boy nodded and then moved off to follow the sheep. John carefully put out the cigarette and waited for the dizziness to pass. His stomach felt queasy. He put the butt in his back pocket. He took the time to watch the boy follow the sheep across the landscape. Feeling a little better he stood and continued on his way. He figured he had another ten miles to travel, but he would rest in the heat of the mid-day. He would get there late this afternoon. He headed in the approximate direction. Rover followed along with him. It was starting to get hot when he finally stopped. After a few minutes of effort, his canvas tarp was set up to provide some shade. He sat down and took a small sip of water. He poured some water in his hand and gave it to Rover. The cat licked it up. He settled in for a long wait. After the heat of the day ended, John packed up and headed on to his destination. The cat left his side to hunt. He knew the cat would catch up after it had eaten. John topped a small rise and saw a couple of old men gathering dried cactus to make a fire. He knelt down to wait for the cat. The cat wouldn't want to interrupt his hunting just because John was in a hurry. The cat was a long time in coming, but it looked satisfied. John stood and slowly walked down to the men. The men continued working as though they weren't aware that he was there. John squatted and waited for them to finish. Rover sat beside him watching the activity with interest. The men finished and turned to look at John. John examined the men. All of them were old, their skin wrinkled from years in the sun. John reached into his backpack and pulled out a carton of cigarettes. He held them out. One of the men came forward and took the carton. He said, "Hello, John Carter." John waited to answer, "Hello, William Redman." John pulled out the open pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He took one and handed the pack to the old man. The old man took one and lit it. John lit his. They smoked for a minute. William stated, "We will take a spirit journey tonight." John accepted the pack from the William and returned it to his pocket. John looked at the pile of cactus. "You waited for me." William looked at the pile and back to John. "You will join us." It was less a question than a command. John puffed on the cigarette. He nodded as he answered, "Yes." One of the other old men stepped forward. John handed the pack of cigarettes to him. He took one and lit it. He took a deep drag off the cigarette, "You have fasted?" John accepted the pack back. He slowly put it back in his pocket. "For three days, only water." The man smiled and nodded to the others. They moved over to the fire pit and sat around it. John joined them. He turned his eyes to watch the sunset. It was glorious with reds, greens, oranges, and purples spread across the sky in broad strokes. He took the curette out of his pocket and drew two drops of blood. He threw them to the ground, "For the Gods and Goddesses." The old men watched him perform his sacrifice. William asked, "You give blood?" John put the curette in his pocket. "Only my blood. Great magic requires a great price." The old men looked at each other. One of them said, "We must cleanse ourselves." He stood up and stripped. He walked over to a barrel and removed a dipper from it. He used the dipper to pour water over his head, filling it three times. The men went to barrel one at a time. John waited his turn and then did the same. One of the old men remarked about his scars, "Are you sure you are a holy man and not a warrior?" John looked down at himself and smiled. "Great magic requires a great price." William smiled at that. Robert had been right when he had told him that John would be interesting to meet. Robert had said that he was more Indian then most of the young men in the tribe. He definitely had patience and knew how to show respect. He asked, "The Medallion is magic?" John studied William. The question was out of place. He answered it anyway, "It is a gift from the Gods and Goddesses. Only they can remove it." One of the old men lit the fire. They sat around staring at the flames, waiting for full dark to arrive. The stars came out lighting the surroundings in a way that was only possible far from the artificial lights of the cities. One of the men picked up a drum from the ground beside him. Another un-wrapped a tortoise shell rattle. William pulled out a hand carved flute. They started playing and chanting. The effect was hypnotic. John let himself be carried away by it. Much later, they passed around a woven bowl that contained mushrooms. Each man took a mushroom and ate it. John did likewise and handed the bowl to the man who had started it around the path. John joined them in chanting. He stared into the fire. He found himself lying on his back staring into the sun. He sat up and blinked his eyes trying to rid them of the spots that floated in front of his face. After a few minutes, they disappeared and he took time to look around. He was back at the meadow. The colors were overly bright, the sounds overly loud, and the smells overpowering in the intensity and diversity. He was surrounded by flowers. He watched as a bee went from one flower to another, spreading pollen and taking nectar as its pay. A butterfly landed on the back of his hand. He examined the butterfly trying to identify what kind it was. The shape of the wings was like that of a swallowtail, but the colors were all wrong. A bird landed at his feet. He watched as it listened to the ground and then pulled up a worm. He sat still watching the magic of the meadow. A naked fat man came walking out of the woods towards him. John watched him approach. With a crash, the fat man fell to the ground in front of him. He rolled over onto his side and held his head in the palm of his hand. Parts of his body sagged and settled on the ground under him. He smiled at John for a minute before stating, "Strange company you are keeping." "Not really." The smile grew bigger. "It doesn't bother you that they travel a different path?" John tilted his head to his right side. He answered, "Different paths often cross." The fat man laughed. It was a high pitched laugh, almost like that of a woman. He stated, "Well said, John Carter. Well said, indeed." John watched as a fox approached. "What will we talk about now?" The fat man really laughed at that. He retorted, "We could talk about how well you've learned to use your strength. I was most impressed when you took down so many criminals in one day. You did it with compassion as well." "I thank you for the complement." The fat man grew serious. "You are a puzzlement to me." "Why?" "You have a male mate that came here to challenge us to provide greater protection for you." "Yes, I was pleased that you choose to let him survive." The fat man made a gesture with his hand, as if he were waving off a fly. "He proved that he was worthy." John winced as he wondered how Ed had proven himself worthy. "You gave him a great gift." "Others are coming here to protect you, some invited and some not." The fat man stared at John. "Were you aware that tonight is midsummer's night?" John nodded as he answered, "yes. But who are these others that you talk about." The fat man laughed, "That you will find out in due course!" "If that is what you want, then who am I to argue?" replied John. "Who are you to argue?" retorted the fat man. Suddenly the man changed into a fat woman. Her huge breasts sagged to the ground. She stated, "What are we to do with you? You command such allegiance from those around you." John answered, "Allow me to serve the Gods and Goddesses to the best of my abilities. I have never asked for more than that." She reached out and fondled his medallion. "That is true. You've never asked for more than that." The medallion fell from his neck. John stared at it for a full minute. He looked up as he asked, "Did I ask for too much?" The fat woman replied, "Not at all. I'll see you Midwinter's day." John woke and found himself on his back staring up at the sun. William was seated on the ground next to him. He pointed to John's chest. "Your medallion came off last night." John nodded as he remembered it coming off in the hand of the Two-sided One. He stated, "I met the Two-sided One on my journey. He removed it from me." There was a long moment of silence. William finally stated, "We saw that you walked a different path. We walked the desert with the animal spirits guiding us. You crossed the rocks alone and headed into the woods." "I am a Druid. We often walk alone." "Your cat left when the medallion fell." John felt a pang of loneliness, as he knew deep in his heart that Rover was gone for good. He had become used to having the cat around all the time. The other cats would be gone as well. He was hurt that he didn't get a chance to say goodbye to the cat. He looked at William. Sadly, he stated, "Great magic requires a great price." The old man watched him for a minute as he realized there was more truth in that statement than he had first given credence. John had paid a great price for his spirit journey last night. He wondered what magic had actually been performed. He stated, "you must be hungry. Get dressed and then let us go eat." John got up and stretched. As he stretched, he could feel all of the scar tissue tighten up. He took a moment to offer his blood sacrifice and noticed the look given him by William. He retrieved his clothes and dressed. He put the medallion in his pocket after looking at it. He put on his backpack, enjoying the feel of it as it settled into place. He picked up his walking stick and adjusted the cloak. He was travel ready now, but hoped the walk would not be more than several miles. He turned to William and, with a gesture of this hand, said, "Lead the way." William walked down the hill a little way to an ancient pickup truck. It was still gasoline powered. John was surprised that the man had driven out here. He was even more surprised that he had not noticed that the truck was there. He climbed in the passenger seat and waited as William settled into the drivers seat. They were soon driving down a bumpy trail until they reached a highway. William turned to the right and headed into town. He parked in front of a small café. They got out and walked into the café. John still paused at the door as though he was waiting for Rover. He knew it would take him a long time to get out of that habit. If the old man noticed, he didn't say a word. They sat at a booth. Other Indians greeted William with great respect, but treated John with a certain reserve. Many of them considered him an Indian wanna-be like most whites that came in with long hair and beards. William noticed and said something to the others in his native tongue. The looks in his direction changed in a subtle way. An attractive woman came up to the table to take their order. She looked at John as if he was something that she had stepped in by accident. She turned to William and smiled in a very friendly fashion. "Heard you were out in the desert last night. You want your normal next day meal?" "Yes, Linda." She turned to John. With a chill in her voice, she asked, "What about you?" "I'll take the same." John smiled at her as he answered. She snorted. "Do you even know what he's getting, white man?" John smiled very politely and answered, "No ma'am, but I do know that it won't make me sick or give me the runs after a three day fast." William laughed aloud at the exchange. He said, "He's got you there, Linda. Better watch out, he's liable to charm you just like he did your brother." She looked at him carefully and guessed, "You're John Carter?" John nodded, "Yes, ma'am. You must be Robert's sister." "How did you guess that?" "I only know three people in your tribe well enough to charm -- Robert, your grandfather, and Awa Tsireh. I didn't think that your grandfather knew I had meet Awa Tsireh." William was surprised that John knew Awa Tsiren well enough to pronounce his name. He stated, "You say his native name quite well." "Thank you." Linda, still somewhat bothered, went into the back to place the order. William looked at John for a minute and then stated, "You came to meet me for a reason and it wasn't to experience what happened last night." John was relieved that the true reason for his visit had finally come up. He replied, "That is true." "So what do you want from an old Indian Medicine Man?" John smiled as he answered, "I want what most people want from an old Indian Medicine Man. I came for advice." "Truly, you are different from most white men." William was used to white men coming to his people and telling them what they needed to do. To have a white man request advice was very different. "I am a Druid," stated John as though that explained it all. In his mind, it did. John stated, "I have a charity that I run. We have lots of money. I want to know how to help your people." William frowned. He was afraid of what John would try to accomplish with that charity. "What do you have in mind?" "My Gods and Goddesses are of the earth. Your people understand the earth spirit. I would like to see your people strengthen their practice and regain their culture." William frowned even more. He was sure that John was going to suggest a culture center. Perhaps he had been wrong in his assessment of this man. He asked, "How do you see that coming about?" "The last thing you need is another culture center. You can't learn about the earth spirit in a building. Maybe you need a fund to help people take off from work to go into the desert and learn the ancient ways from men like yourself. Or maybe a scholarship fund for young men and women that is available for them when they go into the desert for a year at the end of high school." "You come with suggestions far different than I expected," answered William. He thought about it. A year at the right time would bring the young back to the old ways. "I didn't want to come with suggestions. It is not for me to make decisions for you and your tribe. I want your wisdom to guide how it should be done. I place it in your hands." Linda returned with their breakfasts. John looked with delight at the food. It was soft-boiled eggs with toast. He smiled at Linda as he stated, "Exactly what I would have ordered after a fast." The men started to eat. William was silent as he thought about what John had requested of him. John had truly surprised him. There was much to consider. The solution had to fit in with the pressures felt by the young to leave the reservation and yet have impact enough that it would be a life long experience. Linda looked at her grandfather. She noticed his frown and asked with concern, "Granddad, are you okay?" "He has given me a good question to answer. I am trying to think of an answer." John stated, "Good answers take time. I do not expect an answer now. Enjoy your breakfast for now. Later, you can discuss my problem with the other wise ones of your tribe. When you have an answer, tell Robert." "You are most patient. That is a rare trait today," replied William. He put a hand on Linda to get her attention and added, "Linda, you could learn things from this man. Maybe you should visit your brother sometime." "Granddad, I'm not looking for a husband!" She rounded on John and spat out, "And don't you get any bright ideas about bedding an Indian maiden!" The comment about bedding an Indian maiden reminded him of Lily. He knew that now would not be the best time to bring her up. John caught her eye. In a very controlled voice, he stated, "Ma'am, he means exactly what he says. He wants you to learn something from me. I don't know what, but that is his desire. You and Robert are invited anytime to visit my home and meet my family." Linda was taken aback by the intensity of his stare and the power behind his words. She was about to respond when another table of customers called her away. She left the table quietly, puzzled by John and worried about her grandfather. John slowly ate his breakfast. It wasn't good to eat fast or too much on an empty stomach. He looked up to see William watching him with a smile. William asked him, "Are you familiar with fasting?" John replied, "Not really. This is the first time that I've done it." "You handle it well." "Thank you." John ate a piece of toast and drank some of the fruit juice. He felt a lot better and his stomach felt full from the small meal. He would stop in about two hours to eat again. He sat quietly as he wondered what he should do about the message from the Two-sided One. He knew that it was too late to do anything about those going to the meadow. He figured everyone would be very worried with the disappearance of the cats, possibly deciding that it might mean he was dead. There wasn't much choice, he was going to have to call home and then return there. John looked around uncomfortably. He finally stated, "Much has happened that I must resolve. It is time for me to leave. Send me word and I will act." William studied him. He could see that John was bothered by something. He wondered about the medallion and if it that was the main problem. He asked, "The removal of your medallion, is it a bad thing?" John was surprised by the change in subject. He pondered the question. He shook his head, "Not really. I was given an invitation to visit the Gods and Goddesses to have it forged anew. I am the first to have been called twice and now I will be the first to have been called thrice." William understood. "Great magic requires a great price. You always pay that price." "Yes. One must wonder what the price will be." "Go. Your family must be worried." John stood. He pulled out a five, knowing that it was more than enough to cover his meal, but not quite enough to cover both. The decision represented an acknowledgement of equality between the two men. He set the money on the table and noticed the grin on William's face. He reached in his pocket, pulled out the pack of cigarettes, and handed them to William. The pack quickly disappeared in William's pocket. Grabbing his backpack, he left the café. More than one person watched him leave. Linda watched with great interest and then returned to her grandfather to learn more about John Carter. His car was parked down the street. He walked along and felt the urge to stop. He waited for a minute. His attention was grabbed by a man working on a neon sign advertising a used car lot. Suddenly there was a large spark as the man touched the wrong wire. He fell to the ground with a solid thump and didn't move. John raced to the man. He had a severe burn on his hand. He had stopped breathing and there was no pulse. He started performing CPR. A crowd quickly gathered and watched John as he worked at saving the man's life. He hadn't done it long before the man started breathing on his own. John sat back with a smile on his face. "Thank the Gods and the Goddesses." The man looked around very confused. A shock like that has a tendency to leave a person confused. He tried to rise, but John gently held him on the ground. John stated, "Stay there. You've taken a pretty nasty shock." John stayed with him until an ambulance arrived. He gave the essential facts to the attendant. He touched the shoulder of the man as he was being loaded and then stated, "you died, but you're better now. Use this second chance." John walked to his car feeling much better. He may not be wearing the medallion, but he could still serve. He got to the jeep and settled in. He had a four-hour drive back to the house. He would stop halfway home and get a little more to eat. Five hours later, he drove up the driveway of the house. He parked the jeep in the garage and got out. He noticed that Beth's car was not in its normal place. He entered the house with a little trepidation. Bill met him at the door and nervously stated, "The cats are missing. Ed is out looking for them." John sat down as he considered the news. He acknowledged the news and explained, "The cats are gone for good. All of them are gone, even Rover." "You already knew?" "About the cats, yes. Where is Beth and Kelly?" Bill answered, "They are at work." "Thank you." Bill breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid that John was going to go ballistic. Ed had nearly gone crazy when the cats disappeared. Bill stated, "I will let Ed know that everything is okay." "I will be in my room." Bill went into the garage and honked a car horn three times. It was the signal to let Ed know that everything had been resolved. Bill was sure that Ed would not like the outcome. Ed cared for the cats as much as John did. John went to his room. He was going to take a shower and get some rest. He knew Ed would come to his room as soon as he talked to Bill. All he would have to do is show him the medallion and Ed would understand everything. ------- Part 3: Robes of Acumen ------- Chapter 1 ... to live life balanced on the edge of a razor. Can one seek a greater meaning to life than spending it walking a thin line that separates one disaster from another? He knows what all people of action know. Most of life is lived following a routine, waking in the morning, eating, working, eating, playing, and sleeping through the night. The common fluctuations in daily routine do little to make one day different from the next. Then, in the midst of great boredom, the call to action sounds and the excitement begins. At that moment, the important things of life become as clear and valuable as a royal jewel. The heart pounds, the body sweats, and the brain races. In the heady rush that follows, you know you are alive. The story about a person of action is not told in a simple narrative. Their diary is blank for pages and then one day will fill ten pages. Their story is told from adventure to adventure, for that is the only time they are alive. The adventure can be dangerous or playful, but it has to be different from all everyday experiences. He knows the beginning is often subtle and the middle fast paced. It is the ending, when exhaustion threatens to overwhelm them, that they are most alive. It is only after everything is over, that the fear registers and the desire for sexual release is the strongest. In the heat of battle, thoughts are not selfish. Instead, one acts on behalf of those around them. All people of action know there is a circumstance where they would make the ultimate sacrifice to protect those around them. The soldier that says in the heat of battle, when things are at their ugliest, that he fights for his fellows is honest. Abstractions like freedom and country mean less then the real, live person fighting next to him. John shivered in the early morning cold as snow fell around him in near blizzard conditions. After years of living in the desert, he had lost some of his skill in dealing with cold weather. Some things were the same when dealing with the desert and dealing with the cold. You didn't rush things. Rushing things led to accidents and accidents killed. If you had a problem, you fixed it right then. His tent had been buried in the snow that fell overnight. It took him ages to break camp. He replaced items in his backpack, making careful note that all his possessions were accounted for. He closed the top of the pack and placed it on his shoulders. He put his cloak on and felt much warmer. The cloak kept the chill of the wind from penetrating to his bones. The walking stick felt warm in his glove- covered hand. The snow came to his waist. It fought with passive determination while he struggled to make progress through it. His efforts were complicated by boots heavy with snow. The wind whipped his cloak around him. Worse, the wind blew the snow up and around him. He struggled to the base of a pine where he would be out of the weather. He cut small branches from the base of the tree and wove them into temporary snowshoes. They weren't great, but they would last an hour or two. He left the protection afforded by the base of the tree. His progress was still difficult, but nowhere near as hard as earlier. The snowshoes left pine needles in the snow behind him. They were soon buried by fresh fallen snow. He approached the spot where he remembered things changing. He took a step forward and the surroundings changed from winter to summer. His coat, cloak, and snowshoes became uncomfortable and unnecessary. He removed the snowshoes, but kept the coat and cloak. He looked up and saw a naked woman. He was surprised by her appearance. Expecting to encounter the fat man or fat woman, the fact that this woman was naked and slender was very nice. His body reacted to her extraordinary presence with a painful erection. He followed her, as if in a trance, to a clearing. Much to his surprise, she motioned him to strip. He knew that sex was a significant part of the bestowal of magic upon the visitant, but he was relieved to discover that he wouldn't have the force of rape this time. He undressed, impatient at his own fingers as they fumbled with buttons. Finally, he was naked. She spread her arms as if to welcome him in an embrace. He moved to step forward. He screamed when he felt arms grab him from behind. His scream rose in volume when a huge cock was shoved up his ass. He kicked and thrashed his arms around in an attempt to hurt the man holding him. The naked woman lay on the ground and spread her legs. John was shoved roughly between her legs. She grabbed his cock with an iron tight grip and pulled it into her cunt. He was sandwiched between the woman and man, both taking their pleasure at his expense. He didn't thrust into her. He was thrust into her by the man hammering his ass with a mammoth cock. Her cunt tightened up on his withdrawal and it felt like his cock was being pulled off. The man and woman blended at the arms and legs, holding him in an unnatural embrace. He was squeezed so hard that each breath was a struggle. The cock rammed ever deeper in his ass. Her cunt squeezed his cock so strongly that it was unable to move. A hand moved between his legs and grabbed his balls. He screamed until his lungs couldn't support it any more. His voice rasped as the last of his breath was squeezed from his body. Tears rolled down his eyes as he begged to be released. His body betrayed him. With a suddenness that shocked him to his soul, he started to ejaculate. The semen poured from his cock like water from a spigot. Each time the cock thrust into his ass, more semen poured out. The hand around his balls tightened as though it was forcing more of his fluid from his body. This wasn't an orgasm, it was ejaculation and nothing more. His ass burned as the man came in it. The woman's orgasm caused her cunt to clamp hard enough that he couldn't ejaculate any more. The world narrowed down and then disappeared in darkness. He heard a horrible shrieking noise and then realized that it was he making the noise. Suddenly it was over. The man and woman flowed into each other to where there was only a cock in his ass. The man pulled out leaving him on the ground to deal with his agony. He attempted to rise, but fell back to the ground. He rolled over and took several minutes to breathe. He rose shakily to his feet and swayed unsteadily. His ass was sore and dripping blood. His muscles hurt. His throat was raw and dry from screaming. His cock looked as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper. His balls were swollen and bruised. His palms bleed from where his fingernails had cut the flesh. He looked around to assess his situation. He found that he was standing at a crossroads. There was a medallion a little way down each path. John didn't move as he looked around. He felt that choosing a path meant choosing a medallion. He looked at the ground where he stood, lifting each foot to see all of it, and saw there was no medallion there. He sat down and waited, unsure what would happen next. The minutes turned to hours. The temperature, which had been nice, turned hot. The sun beat down upon his naked and bruised body. He started sweating as the air temperature increased. He waited patiently despite his discomfort. There was a well down one path, but he stayed where he was. His skin began to redden from exposure to the sun. The sun started setting in what he assumed was the west. As the sun set, the temperature cooled. The darker it got, the colder the air became. Naked and unprotected, he started to shiver. He could see his breath in the light of the stars. The sweat that remained on his body froze. He was so cold that he couldn't control his shaking. His teeth chattered so hard that one chipped. His fingertips and toes became numb and then white. He tried rubbing his body to keep it warm, but his hands felt like lead and were just as cold as the surroundings. The sun started rising. It rose on the same side as it had set. The fat man was back. "Choose the medallion you will wear." John, voice barely audible, answered, "I have chosen." The fat man smiled, "Which one did you choose?" A bare croak, "The one in the crossroads." The fat man changed into a woman. "There isn't one in the crossroads." "You haven't put it there yet." The person flickered between man and woman several times. "Why do you think I would put one here?" John croaked, "This is the point of all possibility." The fat man frowned and left. The temperature started increasing again. It was more than an hour after the sun rose that he felt warm. He took the moment to enjoy the temperature. Soon it became hot again. The temperature rose. Looking down the paths, he could see ripples in the air as the hot air from the ground mixed with the cooler air above. Mirages formed images that looked like snakes dancing in the air. His skin blistered as the sunburn worsened. He stopped sweating, a dangerous sign of dehydration. With parched throat and dry skin, his body heated. He lost and regained consciousness several times throughout the day. The sun set along the same side from whence it rose. The fat man returned and looked at John. He shook his head at the man's state. "Pick a medallion!" John's head ached. The world swung dizzily in front of his eyes. If he had anything in this stomach, he would have vomited. "The one in the crossroads!" "Why do you pick that one?" "That is the one you want me to pick!" The fat man left. With the sun below the horizon, the temperature cooled down, but John was only barely aware of it. Lips chapped, eyes swollen nearly shut, red skin blistered, and fingers turned black, he was barely alive. The cold temperature sank its tendrils into every part of his body. Over the previous night, he had consumed his fat reserves. Now, he had no energy to shake from the cold. His body had nothing left to give. He hung in that state between life and death. The sun rose again. The fat man stood over John. "Pick a medallion!" "The one in the crossroads!" The fat man laughed, "You are sitting on it." John rolled over and grasped the medallion. His fingers had difficulty closing over it. The fat man knelt down and took it from his hand. He looked upon John with satisfaction. He put it around John's neck. "You have done well, John Carter. Much better than I had expected. There is much for you to do. For now, it is time for you to rest." John woke warm and comfortable at the base of a pine tree. The branches had kept snow from reaching the ground around the base. The layer of pine needles upon which he was resting was thick and soft. The air beyond the branches was still and he could see patches of blue sky through the boughs of the evergreen. He felt healthy and energetic. There were no signs of damage to his body. He dug through his pack and pulled out the GPS to check his position. He stood up and parted the branches to assess the snow beyond his shelter. It was deep, much deeper than he could easily walk through. He cut branches to make another pair of snowshoes. He took his time and made a pair that would stand up to the trek back to town. He fastened them to his boots, grabbed his backpack, and slipped out from the tree. The air was cold, but not bitterly so. He slipped the pack onto his back under the cloak. With walking stick in hand, he took a few tentative steps away from the tree. He took out the compass and checked the directions. Satisfied, he headed east towards the road. He couldn't use his walking stick since setting it to ground caused it to sink deep into the snow. Because there were no paths to follow, he stopped frequently to check the compass. It was important to make sure that one walked in the same direction rather than in a circle. Systematically, he moved closer to the highway. Walking was made more difficult because of the snowshoes. He was required to move in a fashion that felt unnatural to him. It was tiring, but at least the distance wasn't far. He stopped when he saw the mountain of snow that had been piled up by the snowplow. It was taller than he was, virtually impassible for a man on foot. He set down his pack and retrieved his GPS. He checked his location and looked at the map to decide what direction to follow the snow bank. He repacked the GPS and map carefully. He put his pack on again; feeling the cold snow stuck to the pack on his back. He walked along the snow bank. It was not a difficult path although he did have to detour around several large pines. He spotted a house to his right and smiled to himself. He knew the owner probably had the entrance to his drive cleared of snow and it would be his chance to cross over onto the road. He had almost reached the drive, when a man's voice reached him, "Hello! Come over to the house!" "I'm coming!" shouted John. He turned and headed towards the house. It was rather far back from the road. The door to the house opened when he reached the house. The man leaned out, "Come in, come in. Get out of the cold!" John removed his snowshoes and entered the house. It was nice and warm. John looked at the man, "Thanks. Let me get my boots off so I don't track snow all over your house." "Sure thing," replied the man. He pointed to a coat rack on the wall. "You can hang your stuff up there." "Thanks." John hung his cloak on a peg and then removed his backpack, setting in on the floor. He removed his gloves and slipped them into the pocket of his coat. He took off his coat, then the sweater under it, and finally a second sweater. He hung each on the same peg. He unlaced his boots, struggling with the damp laces. He eased his boots off and flexed his toes. The man watched him with amusement. "You definitely know how to dress for this weather." John shook his head, "I don't know. There for a while, it was touch and go." "I take it by the pack that you've been hiking today." "I came out here on the twentieth." The man stepped back in respect, "You were out there a week?" John nodded as he calculated how many days he had lost. It was five days this time. He answered, "Yes, a week." The man shook his head, "You're in pretty good shape for such a long hike in that storm." "I spent most of the storm out of the weather." The man made a gesture with his thumb directing John into the main room of the house. John went into the room and turned to his host, "Forgive my manners, I'm John Carter." "Well, that answers all of my questions. I've heard many good things about you. I'm Walter Burns. No relation to George." John laughed, "It's George's loss." "So how are things on Mars, John Carter?" It took John only a second to catch the reference to the Edgar Rice Burroughs character. He laughed, "That was granddad. I'm stuck here on earth." "I guess you get that a lot." "Surprisingly, I've only gotten that two or three times. It seems that not many people read any of his works except Tarzan," answered John. He had read all of Burroughs' works when he was younger. Walter shook his head, "Well, they would if they lived up here in all this snow. Not much to do during the winter except read." "I know what you mean." John moved over to the fire and turned his back to it. Walter said, "You want some hot chocolate to warm up your insides." "That would be great." Walter left the room to make some hot chocolate. John's rear started to feel hot so he turned to face the fire. He held his hands out to let them warm. The cold quickly left his system and he stepped further away from the fire. He turned to face the room when Walter entered carrying two mugs. Walter handed one to John, "Here you go." John smelled the steam rising from the cup. The rich aroma of chocolate warmed the spirit as much as the fire warmed the body. He took a sip and sighed in satisfaction. "This is good." Walter sat down in one of the chairs, "Hey, take a load off and enjoy your drink." John sat down in a chair next to Walter's chair. He stared into the fire and slowly sipped his drink. He stated, "This is nice. I'm going to dread going back into the cold." Walter nodded and was silent for a while. He finally stated, "There's a large crowd of people waiting for you in the next town down. When you finish your drink, I'll take you down there." John looked surprised, "A large crowd?" "Yes. Quite a large crowd from what I saw. They're gathered at the Sporting Goods Store. They didn't seem too worried about you being in that storm, though. No one has been out looking for you." John considered, "I wonder what happened that brought them all out here." "I have no idea. I'd offer you something to eat, but they have some sort of barbecue pit running all the time." John took another sip of the hot chocolate. "You don't have to drive me down there. I parked my jeep at George and Martha's restaurant." Walter laughed, "They're closed because of the weather. It will take you a day to dig your jeep out of all that snow. Longer if you parked it in the back!" John looked at the man, "You seem to know a lot about the state of things around here despite the recent weather." "Actually, I drive the snowplow so I know what's open and what's closed. I still have streets to clear before things can get back to normal. You were lucky, I stopped here for a break." "That explains a lot. I'll be glad to accept a ride from you." "So tell me about that group waiting for you," requested Walter. He had met the people. They called themselves Druids. He had been very surprised by their hospitality and manners. There was none of normal social friction normally exhibited by any group of people forced together in such close quarters. He had seen more discord at a church social. "I'm not sure who's waiting for me or why they are there." Walter responded, "It's Jed's odd crew." John asked, "What are your impressions of them?" Walter answered, "They are the most different set of folks that I've ever encountered. I was out plowing the first day of the storm. They were camping there, so I stopped to see if they needed to get some place out of the weather. They were building igloos and forming a regular city there. The parking lot had already been cleared of snow. They told me everything was fine and then offered me some food. I've been back there a couple of times every day. I've never seen any kind of argument. It doesn't seem natural that so many people can be together without fighting." "Oh, they are different. Every one of them is self-sufficient. They can live easily on whatever they carry with them. They all obey one rule - if it harms no one, then do it. You will find that people who live by that rule won't argue about little things. If it doesn't harm anyone, they are free to do it and you have no right to tell them otherwise," stated John. "They sure are the most helpful folks that I've ever encountered. I had just stopped for a minute and they were offering me coffee and food. Next thing I know, they got me by the fire so that I could warm up. When I was ready to return to work, I had four or five volunteers willing to ride with me and help me if any problems arose." "You're providing an important service that benefits the community as a whole. They would naturally take care of you." Walter was quiet for a moment. He then stated, "They were out there clearing the snow off some of the older folks houses. It was needed to keep the roofs from caving in. Weirdest thing, I have no idea how they knew who needed help and who didn't." John laughed, "Trade secret!" "If you keep that a secret, none of us will be able to help." Walter dropped John at the Sporting Goods Store. He waved as he drove off to remove more snow from some of the back streets. John watched him go thinking to himself that one day in the future; Walter would become a Druid. He walked through the store. It always amazed him with the variety and quality of goods that were stocked in it. He was stopped by Catherine Sullivan. She was holding a bundle of cloth in her hand. She stated, "Put this on before you go out back." John took it from her and unfolded it. It was a brown robe. He looked at it in surprise, "A robe?" "Yes, I have nine more just like it for you to take with you. Now undress and put it on. I'll be out back waiting for you." Catherine opened the back door and stepped out. John slowly undressed. He put his old clothes in a pile and put on the robe. There were deep pockets for his personal possessions. He filled one with his wallet and car keys. He noticed the leather belt and tightened the robe around him. He put on his cloak and picked up his walking stick. He opened the back door. Stepping through the door, he was shocked by the number of people gathered there. There were at least two hundred people there. As far as John could tell, every Druid in the world was present. The Druids formed up in three groups. A large group wore the Goddess's medallion. A slightly smaller group wore the God's medallion. A handful of people wore the medallion of the Two-sided One. Off to the side, Beth and Kelly stood there watching him with smiles on their faces. Mary Darling stepped forward, "We who serve the Goddess greet you, John Carter." Jerry Smith stepped forward, "We who serve the God greet you, John Carter." Harry stepped forward, "We who serve the Two-sided One greet you, John Carter." The three of them stated together, "We recognize you and name you the Grand Druid." John looked in shock at all of the Druids as they performed a half bow toward him. John automatically returned the half bow. John stated, "I thank you for this honor, although I do not feel that I deserve it." One by one, Druids came to him with greetings and introductions of themselves. Many of them, he already knew and they exchanged personal statements. Those he didn't know briefly described their skills and told him where they lived. All of the continents were represented. The three who had first greeted him were the last to talk to him. When Mary Darling came up, John asked, "How did this come about?" Mary Darling stated, "You are the first to serve all three in eight hundred years. You are the first true Grand Druid since that time." John stated, "I wonder why I was chosen." Mary Darling looked at him with a funny expression. "You don't know?" John stated, "I don't know." Mary hugged him and then stepped away. Jerry Smith took her place. He smiled at John, "I had a feeling this was going to happen the first time I met you." "Why didn't you warn me?" Jerry laughed, "You would have denied it anyway." "True." Jerry stepped away as Harry came up to John. He smiled, "It was hard doing what Jed had asked. I had a prophecy of this day to tell when I first met you." John recalled how Harry had left the funeral for Jed. He nodded, "I understand now. Who did you tell it to?" "The Sheriff." "How did he react?" "He probably thought I was a crazy man." Harry left and rejoined his group. He shouted, "Let's Eat!" There was a leisurely rush to the barbecue pit where several roasts, chickens, and racks of ribs were cooking. Next to the pit was a fire pit with a large kettle of beans. On a table were huge bowls containing coleslaw and potato salad. There were also several loaves of fresh baked bread. It took John a little while to make his way over to his family. They waited patiently for the line to get smaller before getting their meal. Kelly, Beth, and Ed were smiling at John. He asked, "What are you smiling about?" "Your hair and beard," started Beth. Kelly finished, "are completely white now." Ed wondered aloud, "I wonder if your pubic hair is white also." He grinned as he stated, "Nope. I think you are going to like some of the other changes down there though." Ed immediately thought of John's cock in his ass. If it had grown even more, then he was not going to like the changes. He exclaimed, "Oh, no!" Kelly and Beth both answered, "Oh, yeah!" He asked, "So when did you guys come here?" Kelly answered, "Ed, like all the others, was drawn to this place. The urge came upon him right after you left. We came with him." Ed nodded, "Yes. So we got in her car and came here. We were only about three hours behind you." "I wonder why it didn't come on you while I was there?" Beth stated, "because you would have known something was up." Ed concurred, "I think this was a trial that you had to go through without knowing the stakes." John replied, "I guess that makes sense." "Sure it does." "So what am I supposed to do as Grand Druid?" Kelly laughed, "Make love to your wives and husband as often as possible." Beth commented, "Be your own lovable self." Ed added, "Sit on your ass and make us do all the work!" Kelly and Beth both hit Ed on the shoulder. John laughed, "For now, I think that the less I do the better." ------- Chapter 2 John sat on his folding chair, occasionally sipping a glass of iced tea, watching the stars overhead. The moon wasn't out and the stars shone brighter than normal. The Milky Way stretched across the sky. As he started at the Milky Way, he wondered how many people had never seen it. Throughout the night, John watched a satellite move slowly across the sky. The dogs in town barked as a truck with a hole in the muffler rumbled through town. It had to be one of the last cars running without a Fusion Battery powering it. Of course, on moonless nights, the dogs barked at everything. Earlier, John and Ed had actually heard a coyote howl in the far off distance. It was nice to sit and contemplate the universe in all its glory. Ed returned to the parapet and sat in his chair. The two men sat quietly for a long time. John stated, "You know, I came out here to write my dissertation." Ed laughed lightly as he stated, "I remember." "So where are you going to go to write yours?" Ed answered, "I was going to stay here." John shook his head while he said, "There's too much going on here. I bet you would have been done with your research a year ago without all of the distractions around here. You need to find some place quiet to work." Ed thought about the suggestion. It was a good idea, but there was too much here that needed him. Then he realized that was John's point. John was suggesting that he take some time for himself. "I'll try to think of a place." John nodded and looked up at the sky some more. He watched as a meteorite raced across the sky. He wondered what people wished for on a falling star. He couldn't think of anything that he could wish for that he didn't already have. He turned to face Ed. "How are your personal finances?" Ed laughed and then answered, "Great. When you told me that people would pay me to work on what I truly loved, I didn't believe you. I still can't believe how much consulting work I've gotten and I haven't even completed my doctorate." "Darn it. I was hoping to give you some money for you to spend while you are writing your dissertation." "No need." "I was afraid of that. You have no idea how much work it is to give away money to responsible people." Ed studied John for a couple of minutes. He knew that John was bothered by all of the money that he had to manage. He asked, "What is your most expensive project?" John answered, "The emergency relief group. It costs five billion a year to operate." "Is it successful?" "Oh yes. We have thousands of people working for it. It has saved thousands of lives and billions of dollars." Ed asked, "Whose money does it save?" "The money saved is a little difficult to place. While everyone talks about the money saved as being insurance money, most of it is actually saved by the victims. Their insurance rates go down. When there is damage, their portion of the cost is reduced." Ed stated, "So the direct beneficiaries of your program are the people that work in it and the people that are served by it?" "Yes." John thought about that project. There were also secondary beneficiaries to it. They stored sufficient food to feed twenty thousand people for ten days in six major sections of the country. Twice a year, they replaced half of the stored food. This was high quality food, steaks, hamburgers, ribs, chicken, canned vegetables, canned fruits, and beverages of all kinds. The food being replaced was cooked and served in poverty sections of major metropolitan areas over a weekend. A whole area of the city would be cordoned off. Thousands of volunteers and working employees of the program patrolled the area providing a safe environment. Bands played and local theaters put on plays generating a festival atmosphere. Cops stood in line with punks to get food. Two festivals each year, with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks provided, helped form real communities. Ed asked, "So what is your second most expensive charity?" John thought about it, "I guess the quick clinic program." Ed nodded, "How's it working?" "Great. We have fifty clinics in poor neighborhoods. They provide basic triage for the larger hospitals. We treat minor cuts, scrapes, colds, and other simple problems. We keep a large enough staff so that waiting times are short. We've reduced the walk-in patient load in the major hospitals by ninety percent. Since our services are free, the costs at the hospitals are reduced. The communities now have access to good health care. Everyone has won." Ed suggested, "So you provide a few essential services to anyone and the results spread far beyond those people?" John agreed, "Yes, that was the goal in setting up that one." Ed stated, "When you set up the foundation, you had selected education, arts, crisis, health, and research as the major project areas. How are they going?" John answered, "Health and crisis are great. I just told you about them. Research is developing slowly, but some progress is being made. Education isn't showing much progress though. The arts are a total loss." "So why isn't education showing much progress?" John thought about it for a while, "I guess that is because the people that need it the most appreciate it the least." "Maybe you are targeting the people in the wrong way." "What do you mean?" "Well, with education you are trying to get kids into the program that don't want it. You are targeting public school kids with afternoon programs. They have an alternative that is just as free -- television. You have a college scholarship program, but only a third of the available scholarships are actually taken. Instead, you should focus on a program that represents the only option for many people and that serves a greater need than the people involved." John thought about it for a minute. "I'm not sure how to put together a program like that." Ed asked, "How about the Indian Program that you started?" John smiled, "It is a success. William Redman's idea of starting a free college for people of Native American descent with social programs aimed at improving conditions for their people was very good. The fact that it is a five-year degree with courses on Native American culture, history, and religion is offset by its price. Where else can they get a full free education complete with living expenses covered?" Ed smiled, "So start your own university for Druids. You're the Grand Druid and, as such, you can establish legitimacy for the Druid component. Same criteria except require that all graduates be willing to present themselves to the Gods and Goddesses." John thought about it for a minute, "We also need to make sure that they have a proper mindset before we admit them. It's not a bad idea, though. I'll have to work out some of the details." Ed smiled. He knew his husband would have no problem. John would think it through and one day soon there would be a new university. He would identify the level of funding necessary and then set it up over funded. The two men turned their attention back to the stars overhead. The satellite was just about to disappear below the horizon. Their quiet time was interrupted by the arrival of Bill. "Gentlemen, I have a request." John turned to face Bill. He was suddenly concerned for the man. The staff very seldom made requests. The only time that they did was when something was seriously wrong. "What do you need?" "I need some time off." Ed turned to Bill with concern. It was a real need; his truth sense confirmed it. He requested, "If I may ask, what is the problem?" Bill's voice cracked, "I'd rather not burden you with it." Ed realized that his statement was both true and false. Bill wanted to talk to someone, but he didn't feel it was right to impose on his bosses with a personal problem. "I know you feel uncomfortable about bringing personal problems to us, but often times it is nice to talk about them. We hope that you are comfortable enough here with us to honor us by sharing your problems. We can often help." Bill considered Ed's statement. He wondered if he truly meant they would be honored by him just by telling about his problem. He stated, "My mother has cancer. She's been the sole caretaker of my father. He has Alzheimer's. I need to take care of them." John listened carefully. The mother's problem could be handled easily enough with their clinic here. The father was another matter. That disease would get progressively worse and could last for years. He asked, "What are your long term plans for your father?" Bill stated, "I have no idea. I guess I'll have to put him in a home of some kind." "Why don't you open a home?" "What do you mean?" "I mean that you could open a home yourself. Your father could be a patient while you run it." Bill heard John's suggestion. There were so many impediments to it. He didn't know the first thing about opening a private care facility. He had significant investments that could be used towards establishing such a business. His room and board had been provided ever since he started working here. He saved the majority of his very high salary. Still, he wasn't sure that he could deal with the responsibilities associated with a private care facility. "I don't know if I can do that." "I'll tell you what we can do. You bring your parents here. We'll put your mother in the clinic here at the house. You move into my old house with your father. We'll get a couple of fulltime assistants to help you with him. You'll be able to leave the house and stay with your mother as much as you want. In the meantime, we'll hire a consultant to tell us exactly what needs to be done to start a full care facility." Bill thought about it. He liked the idea, but he wanted to talk to his mother first and find out how she would like it. He stated, "I'll have to talk to my mother. However, I'm pretty sure she'll want to stay there." John stated, "Okay. You go there and talk to her. Then let us know what she's decided. If she wants to stay there, then we adjust the plans. We can have several full-time nurses brought in to take care of her and your father. We can set up the whole house to be clinic and get your mother the best care possible." The offer really touched Bill quite deeply. As his voice quivered with emotion he asked, "Why are you doing this for me?" John thought about how to answer the question. The offer came to his mind before he even considered whether he should do it or not. He replied, "I care about you and you've been a member of this family since it started. I'm doing this because you can use the help to get through these trying times. However, it is also the right thing to do. You are not alone in having this problem. By helping you, I'm helping others as well." Bill was too choked up to answer. His eyes misted. John stood up and embraced him. As John held him tightly, Bill broke down and cried. John held him until he regained his composure. John stated, "Now, go pack your things. I'll get a jet here to take you to your parents in Florida. You'll be there by the morning." Bill stepped back, "What about my duties?" John laughed, "We'll ask Jim to provide us with one of his assistants. If there is anything important they need to know, I'm sure that you'll call them and let them know." "Thank you." Ed watched Bill walk away. He knew that Bill was going to have a rough couple of days getting things in hand. He turned to John and stated, "I'll follow him there tomorrow afternoon. He'll need someone to interview the staff." John asked, "Why not go with him tonight?" Ed knew that John was going to have a rough day tomorrow as well. He stated, "You'll need me to interview people tomorrow. You know that he won't be coming back. He's going to do what you suggested." John nodded, "Okay. Check out the temporary person tomorrow. Fly there and take care of Bill. When you get back, we'll start the search for a fulltime replacement. For now, we'll consider the person to be an assistant for him until he formally makes a decision." Ed nodded, "Good. We may want to look for another person to be a fulltime housekeeper. Ling is pulling triple duty by handling security, assistant cook, and house cleaning. If Bill does not come back, we can still get another assistant." John thought about it. "There's another reason you want to get two more, possibly three." "Can't pull the wool over your eyes." "Darn right. Now tell me the other reason." Ed laughed, "Since you won't let me weasel out of telling you, I'll put it simply. I think we need to retain a gender balance." John nodded as he concurred, "I didn't think of that, but you are right." Ed suggested, "Do you think that we should let the staff interview candidates before the candidates talk to us?" "You need to talk to them first. We don't want the staff to get excited about someone only to have you discover that the person is a pathological liar or something." "Right. I'll brief them on the job responsibilities and get a sense of them first." John stated, "Good. Let me call a jet to take him from Phoenix to Miami. I'll make arrangements for you as well." John stood up to leave when Kelly appeared at the door to the palisade. She stated, "Beth and I will be flying with Bill. We'll double check everything there." Ed stated, "Well, I'm not sure that is necessary at this time. I'm going down there in the afternoon to help interview people. I've got a feeling he's going to be staying there." Kelly replied, "Do you even know what questions to ask a nurse?" "No." "Well, Bill needs us now and not this afternoon. Beth and I will go with him. You come in the afternoon." She looked at them both with an expression that dared them to contradict her. Ed and John looked at each other and knew there was nothing they could say that would change her mind. Ed stated, "Okay, that's a plan." John went downstairs with Kelly. She went to her room to pack and he went to the office to make the telephone call. He called up the jet charter service that he frequently used when time was essential. It took less than a minute to arrange both jets. He went to Beth's room and knocked on the door. She answered looking harried. "Hi, I'm just packing. If you want to chat while I'm working, come on in." John entered, "Take care of Bill for us. Check out his mother and father to see if there've been any mistakes. Line up a couple of nurses to take care of both of them while you are there. When he decides what to do, let me know." Beth was frantically putting outfits into her suitcase. She shot a glance over at him that suggested he was stating the obvious. He added, "He's going to need some tender loving care for a while." Beth smiled at John, "Don't worry, we won't make him look too far afield for it." John laughed, "Well, don't wear him out. He's going to need some energy to deal with the situation there." John drove them all to the airport in the large van. He drove up to the building occupied by the private charter company. A small squadron of people came bustling out to get their luggage. In ten minutes, they were seated aboard the small jet. As John waited for it to take off, he turned to the man in charge, asking, "Could you make sure they are met by a limousine when they arrive?" "Of course, Dr. Carter. Is there anything else that I can do for you?" John thought for a moment before asking, "Yes, can you arrange for two bouquets of flowers to be there when they land? Let them know that one is for Bob to give to his mother and the other is from the Carter clan." "I'll get right on it." "Thank you. Ed will be flying down there this afternoon. I hope that won't be a problem." "No problem. The jet is already on its way here." "Great." John left the airport, taking the most direct route home. It was going to be very late before he arrived home. John woke in the morning, dressed, and performed his normal morning ritual. He went to the kitchen in search of breakfast. Marguerite was at the table reading a recipe book. He got out a bowl, milk, and a box of cereal. He joined her at the table. "Good morning." She glanced up at him and then down at his breakfast. She snorted, "Garbage. All you eat is garbage." He laughed, as he answered, "I didn't want to disturb you." She glared at him, stating, "my job is to make sure you don't eat garbage!" He laughed as he repeated a line from a commercial. "Kids love it and parents recommend it." He fixed his bowl of cereal while Marguerite watched. She finally stated, "It's a very nice thing you are doing for Bill." "I'm just happy that I can help. How did you know?" She sighed, "I talked to Bill this morning. His mother wants to stay there where all of her friends are. He's going to stay there and open the clinic that you discussed with him. He talked to Ed, too." John nodded as he processed the information. He asked, "So how do you feel about losing Bill?" She was quiet for a while. She was going to miss Bill, he was nice and a considerate lover. She smiled, "Ed said that he was going to hire three more people. So I guess I'll have two more men and a new woman to sleep with." John had just shoveled a spoonful of cereal in his mouth. He nearly choked at her response. He had expected a more serious answer. As he struggled, she added, "We'll see if any of them can make Ling scream." "You aren't going to let me live that down, are you?" "If I remember correctly, she isn't the only one you've made scream." "Well, she's so embarrassed by that night she's never invited me back." John could understand why the shy Ling wouldn't want to embarrass herself with a repeat performance. Everyone had teased them both for a week. Marguerite looked back down at the cookbook and muttered, "Men are so stupid sometimes." John couldn't quite make out what Marguerite had said. He asked for clarification, "What did you say?" "Nothing. Just reading an ingredient out loud." "Oh," replied John. Ed came in the kitchen and grabbed a cup of coffee. He sat down next to Marguerite. He stated, "I have lined up a bunch of interviews at a temporary agency for later this morning and afternoon. I would like everyone to come there and help us select the new people." John nodded, "What about the person from Jim's office?" Ed smiled, "She's coming too." John asked, "Who is it?" "Cathy, his public relations person. He said that she already works for you, you might as well pay her directly." John laughed. That had been a long-standing joke between them and Jim. John didn't want to steal Jim's employees away from him, but Cathy was perfect. The staff already knew and liked her. The Carter clan knew and trusted her. He chuckled as he teased the cook. "Now our Marguerite here just might get a chance to sleep with her." She retorted, "Already happened. However, you are going to have to wait a year before the extended benefits package becomes available to her. Eat your heart out, boss." Ed laughed at the look on John's face. He said, "She got you." Several hours later, Ed and John were in a private room waiting to interview someone. They had been sitting there since they had arrived three hours ago and not one candidate had passed the questioning of the staff. John asked, "Do you think they are being too rough on the candidates?" Ed stated, "I don't know. They are probably taking about fifteen minutes a candidate, so they've gone through about a dozen by now." Their discussion was interrupted by a knock on the door. A young man entered the room and sat down. Ed stared at him, the man had not been in the group that he had interviewed earlier. John stated, "Hello. May I have your resume?" Ed interrupted, "Please put your resume on the table and then leave. We'll be in touch with you." John looked at Ed in surprise. The young man pulled out a resume and laid it on the table. He stated, "I'm sure that when you consider my qualifications I'll be hearing from you." Ed watched the man leave the room. He didn't realize that he had been holding his breath until it came out in a blast. He turned to John, "He's a psychopath." John looked at Ed, "What do you mean?" "I mean he's as sick as Henry Buckman. Don't touch the resume. We'll send it to your friends in the FBI and let them deal with him." The sense of revulsion that had washed over Ed slowly began to release its grip on him. John picked up the telephone and dialed Ann's telephone number. She answered on the first ring. He stated that Ed found someone that he suspected of being another serial killer. He told her they had a paper here with his fingerprints on it and requested her to send an agent over to collect it. He even added the word please to his request. John looked back at Ed. He consoled him, "We'll get him, don't worry." Ed shook his head as he stated, "I've never had such a reaction to anyone before. That guy literally glowed with evil." John stated, "Good thing you were here." Ed went to the door and looked into the room. The staff was interviewing another person. "I guess we should ask the receptionist to take a paper into them to let them know we didn't accept that guy." John took care of it. The two men went back to waiting. After thirty minutes, a FBI agent showed up and bagged the resume. He left discreetly when there was a knock on the door. John and Ed returned to the table. John stated, "Come in." A woman entered the room. She had the hair, high cheekbones, and eyes of a Native American. John and Ed looked at each other with surprise. They had expected the staff to pass on only men. Ed stated, "Please come in and have a seat." "Thank you," stated the woman as she walked to the chair and sat down. She looked up at them for a second and then set a resume on the table in front of them. "I'm Sarah Redman. I understand that you have a domestic position open." "Yes, we do." John answered. He thought about the name and wondered if she was related to William Redman. "Good, I'll take it." Ed and John looked at each other in surprise. This was a very confident young lady. John asked, "Are you related to William Redman?" She looked at John for a moment. She nodded, "Yes, he is my grandfather. How is it that you know him?" John replied, "I took a journey with him once. We have a mutual respect for each other." She raised her eyebrows in disbelief. She retorted, "My grandfather only respects one white man and that's John Carter." Ed smiled, "Allow me to introduce ourselves. I'm Ed Biggers and this is John Carter." She actually blushed when she realized with whom she was talking. She had the grace to apologize, "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't realize." "No problem," replied John. He asked, "Are you aware of our lifestyle?" "I believe that I have a good idea." Ed asked, "Would you mind telling me what you believe it encompasses?" She stated, "I know that you two are married to each other and to two women. If I got the job, then I would live in your house. Consequently, I would probably see each of you undressed, particularly in the pool area. Since I'm a nudist, you can walk around naked all day long for all I care." John asked, "Any thing else?" She shrugged, "The staff stated that they tended to swap beds quite frequently and that I would be invited to join. I like men and women. They all seemed quite nice and I don't think that would be a problem." John looked at Ed. Ed stated, "She tells the truth." John stated, "Before we hire you, I want you to talk to your grandfather and Robert White Feather. If I hear back from Robert White Feather that they both agree you can work in the house for us, we'll hire you. If they have a problem with it, we'll find you a position within the Fusion Foundation. Is that acceptable for you?" She sat back and looked at John. She stated, "Neither one of them is particularly pleased with my lifestyle. Why do you insist on their permission for me to work for you?" John smiled as he answered, "Because I respect them both. Your grandfather established the Native American College. Robert White Feather has helped us many times in the past." Sarah looked puzzled as she asked, "Grandfather did what?" "He established the Native American College. You didn't know that?" She frowned as she thought back to past discussions with her grandfather. She stated, "No wonder he looked smug when I told him that it was just another white man's project to turn us into white men." John laughed aloud as he remembered her grandfather's advice to Linda Redman to come visit him. William felt that she had much to learn from him. If he knew William, the old man would insist that she work for him. "I'm sure that he was highly amused." She stated, "I seriously doubt he'll give me permission. He wants me to go to school. He says that I need to find my Indian heritage." John smiled, "Talk to him. You might be surprised by what he says." ------- Chapter 3 John, Ed, Beth, and Kelly sat on one side of the conference table in the library. John, dressed in his robe, held his hands in his head and groaned occasionally. Beth and Kelly, dressed in their work clothes, kept looking at each other and giggling. Ed, dressed in his normal blue jeans and work shirt, did his best not to look across the table. The staff filled the other side of the table. All of them were naked. Cathy was saying, "From my discussions with Marguerite, it was my understanding that dress was optional in this house." The new handyman and assistant security man, Greg, nodded in agreement. He echoed, "Hey, that was my understanding when I interviewed." Sarah stated, "I told you I was a nudist when I interviewed." Cathy stated, "Besides, I don't think Jim was upset. I'm sure that he enjoyed the view tremendously. I know I do." Beth stated, "Well, we can make a new rule. The upstairs and back of the house are clothing optional, but the front of the house is clothing required." Sarah pouted, but Cathy stated, "that sounds fair." John added, "That means real clothing, not just bathrobes." The staff nodded in agreement. Kelly giggled as she asked, "Is there anything else?" Cathy raised her hand asking, "Can we get the optional benefits early?" John groaned. Kelly and Beth looked at each other with a smile. They were enjoying this. Ed shook his head. Kelly stated, "Sure. You've been with us for a month. How about at the end of six months?" Cathy and Sarah pouted. Greg shrugged as he stated, "Okay." Bob raised his hand. At a look from Ed, he asked, "Can we hire another man?" Greg agreed, "Amen to that." "May I ask why?" "Cathy is about to wear my dick off." "Amen to that." Cathy giggled. John groaned. Ed stated, "We'll take that up at another meeting." John nodded, "If there isn't anything else that is pressing, this meeting is over." All of the staff, with the exception of Ling, got up and left. Ling meekly cleared her throat. Kelly looked up at Ling asking, "What's the matter honey?" Ling looked at John and Ed for a moment before she started to cry. Sobbing, she asked, "Can I talk to you and Beth privately?" John and Ed looked at each other with concern and then stood to leave the room. John leaned down so that his head was between Kelly and Beth. He pulled them each closer. He whispered, "Take good care of her. Do what ever it takes to make her happy. If there's anything we can do to help her, let her know we'll do our best." John and Ed left the room. They headed over to the swimming pool. Ed stated, "I had no idea that would happen when he hired Cathy and Sarah." "Neither did I." Ed took a couple of steps and then stated, "If any of them upset Ling, we're letting them go." John nodded in agreement. He said, "You bet." The men reached the pool. They quickly stripped and climbed into the pool. They could feel the tension leaving their bodies. They swam for a while enjoying the feel of the cool water. Their play was interrupted by a dressed Cathy entering the room. She cleared her throat and then stated, "There is an Ann Moore here to see you." John answered, "I'll be right out." Ed laughed as he teased, "Sorry that you have to work buddy, I'll be here swimming and thinking of you." Cathy interrupted, "She wants to talk to both of you." John laughed as he teased back. "I'll be sitting in that meeting watching you and knowing that you would rather be here." The men climbed out of the pool and went to the cabinet containing the towels. They quickly dried themselves and then threw the damp towels in the hamper. As they were dressing, Cathy asked, "Where should I take her? The library is currently being used." "We'll meet her in the formal dining room. Have Marguerite fix coffee and some sort of snack, please." "Okay, John." She left to perform her tasks. John and Ed finished dressing. Both were curious what could bring Ann here. She hadn't been here since the big raid and neither man knew what had happened that afternoon to her. John asked, "Do you think this is business or personal?" "I've got no idea." They entered the formal dining room to find Marguerite setting out a carafe of coffee and a plate of her special chocolate chip cookies. Ann and Marguerite shared a special look. Marguerite saw them enter and nudged Ann. Ann quickly turned around stating, "Congratulations boys, you caught another serial killer. I just got back from the guys house. We found more than a dozen bodies in the yard. He was using the temporary agency to pick his next victim." Ed shuddered as he stated, "That guy was pure evil." John added, "I'm so glad that we didn't hire him." Ann said, "Well, he's not going anywhere for a long time. Thanks a lot. I feel good when I help lock someone like that away." John stated, "So do I." Ann was quiet for a moment. She looked to the door of the kitchen. Marguerite peeked out and nodded to her. Ann stated, "My husband and I would like to invite you two and your wives over for dinner." "Sure, we can come whenever you want so long as Beth and Kelly are free from work," John stated. He turned and looked toward the back of the house. He added, "They should be done soon. Would you like to make the arrangements with them directly?" "No, that's okay. I will call and ask Cathy. Just let her know that you've accepted the invitation" Ed nodded, "Sure, no problem. However, the first thing they are going to ask us is what kind of clothes they should wear." Ann looked over at the door again. Marguerite smiled at her. "None would be best." John did his best not to look flustered as he said, "Okay. We'll let them know that." Ann stood up stating, "Well, I had better get back to the office." She abruptly turned around and left the house. Ed and John watched her go and then stared at each other. John asked, "Has the whole world gone crazy today?" "I think so." John reached over and poured himself a cup of coffee. He grabbed a cookie and took a bite out of it. Puzzled, he asked, "She was here for five minutes?" Marguerite came out of the kitchen. She answered, "No. She's been here since the meeting was over." "Why didn't someone get us earlier?" She answered, "She was talking to me." "Oh, I didn't know that you knew her." Marguerite smiled as she thought back to that evening she had spent with Ann. Ann had earned to play. She answered, "We are very good friends." John nodded, "Good. She can use a good friend like you." Ed remembered that Ann had not known Marguerite the day of the big operation. He looked speculatively at Marguerite and decided they had a major clue as to what happened to Ann. He hadn't thought Ann was like that. Of course, he was wrong in his deduction. Ed poured himself some coffee and took a sip. He changed the discussion to the problem that his wives were sorting out with Ling. He asked, "Are the new people causing any problems?" Marguerite surprised at the change in subject answered, "no. Why?" Ed heard the truth in her words. He shrugged, "Just curious." She left the room. Ed looked at John, "Well, I think we know where Ann disappeared to that evening." John looked at Ed in surprise as the pieces fell into place. "Really?" "Really." "Wow, I would never have thought Ann was like that." Ed added, "I don't think the staff are the reason why Ling is upset." John asked, "She was telling the truth that she wasn't aware of any problems from the new staff?" "Yes." "Drat. This must really be serious." Cathy entered the room. Ed noticed her entrance and stated, "Ann has invited us to dinner one night. She will call you and arrange a night when everyone is free." "Okay, I've got everyone's schedules." "Good." Cathy looked at them for a second. She said, "Kelly and Beth would like to talk to you in the library. They look quite upset." John and Ed ran out of the room to the library. Kelly and Beth were sitting there with tears in their eyes. John asked, "What's the matter?" Beth stated, "Ling wants to leave." John's jaw dropped, "What? Why?" Kelly answered, "She's fallen in love with a married man." Ed asked, "Why would that make her want to leave?" Angrily John asked, "Who is it? How dare he play with her feelings like that!" Beth answered, "She didn't say, but we know who it is." Kelly burst out in tears. She cried, "There's got to be something we can do." Beth hugged Kelly and comforted her by saying, "I know. I don't want her to go either. I love her too." John and Ed went over to the women and put their arms around them in a group hug. Ed stated, "None of us want her to go." Kelly pulled out of the group hug. She left the room for a couple of minutes and returned with a box of tissues. She gave a couple to Beth and took some herself. She turned to John requesting, "Could you go get Jim?" "Sure, I'll call him right now." "No, go get him personally." John shrugged as he answered, "Okay, I'll go shortly." "Please, John. Could you go now?" John nodded and stated his agreement, "sure Kelly. Anything you want." John left the room. He was confused by Kelly's insistence that he get Jim now. If she really needed Jim quickly, a telephone call would be faster than driving there and picking him up. He went to his room and got dressed to leave the house. He grabbed his walking stick and headed to the garage. He caught sight of Ling, just as she disappeared into her room. She was still crying. John returned with Jim in tow. Jim kept asking why he had been summoned, but John was unable to tell him except there was a problem with Ling. Of course, Jim thought John was being his normal secretive self. They entered the room to find Beth, Kelly, and Ed talking quietly with smiles on their faces. Ed turned to Jim and then requested, "We need a ruling on a point of order. Can a majority of stock holders in the family hold a vote in the absence of another stock holder and have their decision stand?" Jim thought about it for a second. He answered, "If they own a majority of the stock, what they decide goes." Kelly looked at John and stated, "While you were out, we held a vote and the motion passed." John sat down and looked around the room. He had a queasy feeling in his stomach, almost as if he had been cheated on. He looked around the room before asking, "So what did you decide?" "We decided to sell shares for the Carter clan to Ling." John stared at them in shock. "Why?" Kelly came over to him and held his hand. "Sometimes you are a fool. Don't you know that the married man she fell in love with was you?" John slowly sank to the floor as the enormity of what she had said sunk in. He looked around the room from his position on the floor. Everyone that he looked at nodded his or her agreement. He realized that he was the cad that had played with her feelings. He numbly nodded while saying, "I vote with the majority." Beth smiled at John knowing the he would have spent an hour denying that Ling was in love with him, but with the decision made he would go along with it. She said, "I guess one of us should go tell her." John decided that she meant he should be the one that goes. He took a deep breath and said, "Okay, I'll go." Beth shook her head as she countered. "No, I'll go. It needs to be one of the women in the family." Jim stood there looking around wondering what he was supposed to do. Beth left and Kelly turned to Jim. "Jim, are there papers that have to be signed or anything?" Jim answered, "no. She just has to buy the stocks. I can record the sale." Beth turned to John, "John, you can take Jim back to the office now." Ed told Jim, "I'm sorry you got dragged out here. Kelly decided that it was necessary to get John out of the house so that we could talk." Jim smiled, as he understood the dynamics of this family. He said, "I understand." Beth stated, "I also saw that you had submitted the extended family contracts. Any time you and Sherry want to come over is fine with us." Ed stared at Beth. In a stated of shock, he asked, "Huh?" Beth smiled, "Yes, they requested to be extended family members." Ed looked at Jim in disbelief. He asked, "Does Sherry know?" "It was her idea. I think she's interested in sleeping with you, Ed." Ed was thunderstruck by the revelation that Sherry would want that. He slowly walked over to John and sank down to the floor with him. He wondered how she could have forgiven him enough for that. Beth looked at the two men sitting on the floor. Neither one of them would be in any state of mind to function any time soon. She turned to Jim and stated, "I think I had better drive you back to the office." John and Ed sat on the floor for quite a while. Finally, John turned to Ed declaring, "Everyone went crazy today." "Yeah. We still have almost the whole day to go yet." "What time is it?" Ed looked at the clock and stated, "The clock says ten thirty." John felt a strong urge to leave the house and go to the bar. He nodded. "If we walk slow, we can reach the bar in time for the lunch crowd." Ed laughed as he joked, "I'll buy you one of them sissy drinks!" The two men got up and headed out of the house. They walked slowly; stopping to talk to everyone they encountered. Maria was outside the house and waved to them. They ambled over and chatted for half an hour. She was excited with some news that had only arrived the day before. Her son was going to college on one of John's scholarships. John wished him luck in his school activities. The men went on down the street. Although it was now approaching noon, many people were walking around the downtown area. The day was looking up. They entered the bar and found a seat at the counter. Shirley looked over at them and smiled. John held up two fingers. "Wimp drinks over here." She laughed as she replied, "Cokes coming right up." Ed looked at Shirley noticing the happy expression on her face. He said, "You're positively glowing. What's up?" She leaned over and set the cokes on the counter. In a quiet voice, she answered him, "My boyfriends and girlfriend are coming to town." John looked at her in surprise while Ed asked, "Can you give me a hint who they are?" She whispered, "One was burned, one is blind, and one argued with John." John sat back in shock. "You don't mean?" She nodded with a smile. "Exactly." Ed looked puzzled at Shirley, "I never thought you were the type to go for a group marriage." She stated, "Hey, if the bigoted and bully Ed Biggers can do it, then so can pretty and caring Shirley." "That's formerly bigoted and bully Ed Biggers, if you don't mind," replied Ed with a laugh. Shirley smiled at his retort. She told them, "Actually, watching you gave me the nerve to try it." Ed looked at her in shock. He asked, "I gave you the nerve to try it?" Shirley laughed as she said, "Yes. Imagine that, Ed Biggers is a role model." John cried out, "Oh no, the world is stopping!" Ed was silent in thought. He was actually shocked that he had influenced anyone. He looked at Shirley and replied, "Thank you for the compliment. I'm overwhelmed." John realized that Ed's tone was serious and that he had been deeply touched by her statements. He turned to Ed to explain. "Ed, you did a very brave thing by forming such an unconventional relationship in front of a town that has known you your whole life. Your previous reputation and your transformation into a nice guy at the same time that you entered our lifestyle have fueled a lot of thought. I'm not surprised that many people have looked at you and seen the beneficial changes that entered your life. I'm sure some people wonder if they couldn't have the same benefits in their own lives. Let's face it, you are a role model of a man that has made a change for the better." Shirley added, "You bet." Ed stated, "You give me too much importance." Shirley laughed as she said, "Now you sound just like John!" Mary came into the bar and stepped behind the counter to stand beside Shirley. John greeted her, "Hello Mary. I heard you got yourself two boyfriends and a girlfriend." Mary grinned and answered, "Yes. You heard right. Little ugly me has got it all." John laughed. "Good for you." The four of them chatted about the pros and cons of the kind of family structure of the Carter Clan. Their conversation was interrupted by one of the troublemakers in town. He had given Ed a lot of trouble about his so-called conversion to a faggot, despite the fact that Ed had two wives. He bullied his way to the bar, stating, "With a face that ugly behind the counter, this bar is going to lose lots of customers." Shirley's face turned white with fury and she almost climbed over the counter to get at the man. Ed almost took off the guys head, but he was stopped with a glance from John. Mary used to such comments replied, "I may be ugly on the outside, but you are putrid mass of ugliness on the inside. I'd rather be me." The man was about to say something back, but John stepped in front of him. He stated, "Sir, you are at a crossroad in your life. You have three choices, continue to say what you were going to say, go over to the table and sit there, or apologize to the lady. Depending on the choice you take, you have different futures. I want you to visualize your future, thirty years from now, based on what choice you make today." "You're going to tell me that if I insult the lady you are going to kill me, right?" John shook his head and stared into the man's eyes. His gaze was level and calm. He answered, "No matter what choice you make, Ed and I will do nothing. You are selecting your future. What kind of woman will go for a man that repeatedly insults women because they don't measure up to his criteria of beauty? What kind of woman will go for a man that takes a cheap shot and then walks away? What kind of woman will go for a man that apologizes when he makes a stupid mistake and learns from the lesson? Then ask yourself, which kind of woman do you want in your life." The man stood there staring at John. He was about to talk back to him, but the words John had uttered echoed in his mind. He looked around and saw the futures looming large in front of him. Only one of them was bright. He turned to Mary, "I'm sorry. That was an incredibly mean thing for me to say. You are right, there is an ugliness in me." Mary was shocked at the transformation in the man's behavior. She responded, "I understand. Thank you for your nice words." He shook his head and requested, "If you will excuse me, I have some thinking to do." Mary replied, "Thank you." The man left the bar. Shirley turned to John and stated, in a voice filled with awe, "It was like you hit him with a baseball bat. I've never seen anything like it." John shrugged as he answered, "Most people are blind to some flaw inside them. It takes just the right words to wake them up. If they see it, then there is hope they can change it." Mary laughed and said, "He should know that you never win when you argue with John Carter." Ed said, "You never win when you fight with John either." Mary stated, "By the way, Sidney said that was a great call on the serial killer the other day. He called me this morning and said they nailed him." John stated, "Ed really didn't like that guy. Said the evil just dripped off him." Ed finished his drink and nudged John. "Hey, if you never want to loose an argument, we had better head home. I bet our three wives are about to go crazy on us!" Shirley asked, "Three wives? Who's the third?" "Ling. Beth, Kelly, and I decided to make her the offer today while John was out." Mary looked puzzled, "You did it while John was out? Why on earth would you do that?" Ed smirked, "Yeah, she's in love with the big guy and he was blind to it. We had to intercede on her behalf." John shrugged. He explained, "I'm the first to admit that there are a lot of things that I'm pretty stupid about." Shirley said with a smile, "The only time you are unaware of how people feel is when you are the subject. Women love you and you act as if they were your sister. Men admire you and you shake their hand while complementing them on their superior qualities. You have no idea how you affect people." John shook his head in denial. He retorted, "You're exaggerating." Mary burst out laughing, "You are too modest. I know at least a dozen women that would sleep with you in a second. Ed has almost as big a following." Now it was Ed's turn to react in denial. He blurted, "You're exaggerating." "I know of at least ten women here in town that would sleep with you in a minute. Some of them are even married. There are going to be a lot of women that will be very jealous of Ling." John and Ed looked at each other. They both knew what the other was thinking; they didn't believe what the women had said. However, Ed's truth sense told him that she believed what she was saying and that bothered him. John stated, "Well, we better get back to the house." They entered the house quietly hoping to avoid notice. Their hopes were immediately dashed when Cathy came around the corner, "Shirley said you'd be here about now. Your wives want you in the informal living room." John and Ed looked at each other as if they were two boys caught with their hands in the cookie jar. They hurried to the living room. They entered to find Kelly, Beth, and Ling talking while pausing occasionally to sip their iced tea. Kelly looked up, "Oh, there you are. We were waiting for you." John stated, "I had an urge to go to the bar." "So what happened at the bar?" "Well, we ran into Mary there. I didn't even know she was in the area." "Which Mary?" "The one with the burn on her face." Ed answered with her most distinguishing characteristic. He added, "She, Shirley, Sidney Fitzpatrick, and Edward are an item now." Ling stated, "I know all about that." John asked, "How do you know about that?" "Until today, I was a member of a woman's club that used to meet at the bar. Shirley quit a couple of weeks ago because she decided that she was happy with her current situation." Kelly asked, "Why didn't Beth or I know about a woman's club?" Ling blushed. "I'd rather not say." Beth asked, "So what else happened at the bar?" Ed stated, "Some guy insulted Mary. John set him straight. It was actually an amazing thing to watch." John shrugged his shoulders. "I just asked him what kind of woman would want a man that did what he did." Beth made a groan as she said, "That's a very cutting thing to say to someone." Kelly asked, "So did anything else happen there?" John thought for a minute, "Oh, we let Shirley know about Ling." Ling knew the answer to the logical question, but asked it anyway. "What did she say about that?" John stated, "She started exaggerating about the number of women that would love to sleep with Ed and me. She said that a lot of women will be very jealous of Ling." Ed added, "It was strange. She was telling the truth as she knew it, but we both know that neither one of us is as popular as she stated." Beth and Kelly smiled knowingly at each other. They knew the truth and still had a hard time believing that John and Ed were so oblivious about the effect they had on people. They just strolled through life being nice to everyone. Ling burst out laughing so hard that she had to hold her side. She had just imagined John married to the entire town. ------- Chapter 4 Slowly, Ling eased herself down on John's cock. A shudder of excitement went through her body as his cock filled her cunt. She leaned forward and kissed Kelly while Kelly rubbed her cunt on John's mouth. The women caressed each others breasts with tenderness and love. They each knew how the other liked to be touched. John was busy licking Kelly's cunt as it dripped nectar into his mouth. He was overwhelmed by the sensations. He enjoyed performing oral sex so much that he could almost orgasm from the act. The sensations of Ling moving up and down on his cock was going to throw him over the edge very quickly. He reached down and rubbed her clit. Ling started screaming into Kelly's mouth as she came. That triggered Kelly's orgasm. The sudden flood of fluid in his mouth and the contractions of the cunt on his cock drove John over the edge. His cum poured into Ling for the third time that day. John collapsed as Ling and Kelly slowly moved off him. Ling lay one her back with her legs spread wide. Kelly moved between her legs and started to eat the cum out of Ling's cunt. Ling was moaning and was soon moving toward another orgasm. Kelly really started to work over Ling's cunt with her tongue, fucking her passage with fast staccato beats. John watched as Ling came again, intimidated by her stamina and desire. Finally, Kelly moved off Ling and took a deep breath to recover from her exertions. John lay staring at the ceiling. Even Ling seemed sated for the moment. John and Kelly each put an arm around Ling. Sated and happy, John fell asleep from his rough workout. Ling and Kelly slipped out of the room careful not to wake John. Once the door was closed behind them, Ling stated, "My God, I thought we'd never wear him out. I wonder how Beth is doing with Ed." Kelly laughed as she suggested, "Well, you might need to join them. Ed's got just as much stamina as John." Ling got a look of horror on her face. She cried, "My poor pussy can't take another pounding." "Don't worry, let's just wait for a minute and see if she comes out." Beth exited Ed's room and walked over to them laughing. "I can hardly walk! That man had energy today." Ling asked, "Tell me again why we are doing it this way rather than sending them somewhere?" "You can't lie to Ed." Beth stated, "Let's get dressed. I want to meet all of these ladies. I'm curious who they are." Not quite believing what she had been told earlier, Kelly asked, "Are you sure that the message was that these women were coming here to ask us if they can sleep with them?" Ling was confident that she knew who they were. She answered, "That's what Cathy said. It would appear that our husbands are very popular men." The three women quickly dressed. They headed to the formal dining room only to find five women there. Beth and Kelly stopped at the doorway staring at the women seated around the table. Marguerite had set the table for tea, with real teacups, a teapot, and British style scones. Neither of the women noticed the table setting. Beth stated, "Shirley? Mary? Maria? Maria? Rosa?" Kelly put her hand to her mouth, exclaiming, " All of you?" Shirley answered, "Well, Mary and I don't really attend any more. Others have stopped coming for some reason. Let's see, Ann and Sherry, stopped coming." Kelly asked, "How many different women have attended?" Shirley thought about it for a minute and then answered, "Probably about twenty women all told." "And they all want to sleep with John?" "Oh yes." "And most of them want to sleep with Ed?" "Well, Karla and I don't really know Ed," replied Mary. Beth looked at Mary with her mouth open. Beth knew who Karla was and couldn't believe it. Anyone that visited John's room knew the only décor on the walls were the pictures Karla had done of him. She asked, "Karla?" The Maria that lived next door to John, stated, "You have no idea what he has done for us. He saved my son's life. He's paying my son's way through school. Did you know that even the men in town are treating us better? My husband talks to me now when he comes home from work." The Maria that owned the restaurant, added, "Do you know that couples now come to my restaurant and spend the evening talking to each other? John, he does great things. He convinced me that people would order delivery and my business has increased by twenty-five percent. I was about to loose the my restaurant and now it is making money." Rosa stated, "They both just turn me on. When I serve them, they look at my eyes and not at my breasts. They see Rosa the person, not Rosa the one with big breasts. I feel like a real human being when he's talking to me." Shirley added, "I would have to say that almost every woman that either of them meets, ends up wanting to sleep with them. I know it sounds strange, but it's true." Beth asked, "How does John act?" Shirley laughed at the question. She answered, "He's completely oblivious. The other day a woman was really coming on to him in the bar. She was telling him how lonely she was and how much she would like to have a good man in her life. He was telling her how she could find one." Ling giggled as she concurred, "Sounds like him." "Neither one of them has a clue." Mary added, "Karla has had a crush on him forever. She's dating David now, but she'll never commit to him until she gets John out of her system." Kelly frowned at the mental image. She knew it would hurt John to learn that. She said, "That's so sad." Beth decided to clarify the purpose of the meeting, "So all of you are asking us if we would let you sleep with John and Ed?" Rosa answered, "Exactly." Beth frowned as she asked, "Why are you asking us?" Shirley stated, "Because that is the only way it is ever going to happen. You have to tell them it is okay. Believe me, we are not trying to steal them away from you." Kelly growled, "Wait a minute. Do you really expect us to let all of you sleep with our husbands?" Maria stated, "Ever since John was my next door neighbor, I have respected his relationships with women. First, it was Betsy. Then it was Beth. Then it was Beth and Kelly. Then it was Beth, Kelly, and all of the help here. Now, it is Beth, Kelly, Ling, and all of the help here. I ask myself, when will it be my turn?" Beth and Kelly looked at each other. Their eyes said that neither one wanted to answer that it would never be her turn. On the other hand, they didn't want to lead her on. Kelly countered, "What about your husband?" Maria answered, "My husband knows and accepts my desire. We are looking to open our marriage to other possibilities. We realized that our marriage was not working the way that it was. We have talked many days about this topic and we know what we want." Beth asked, "Why do you want to sleep with him?" "I know that he respects me as a person. I want to know that he appreciates me as a woman as well. His opinion is important to me." Kelly was about to reply when Ed walked into the room. He saw everyone around the table. All conversation stopped as everyone turned to look at Ed. He suddenly felt like a bacterium under a microscope. Nervously he said, "Hello Ladies. I didn't mean to interrupt your visit." The ladies shyly answered, "Hello, Ed." Ed noticed that Kelly and Beth were looking a little nervous at his presence. He wondered if he had done something wrong. He stepped back, "Things seem a little tense in here. Is there a problem that I can help you with?" Kelly requested, "Please Ed. Would you mind leaving us alone. It's girl talk time." Ed grinned at the standard line to get the guy out of the room. He replied, "No problem. Ladies, I hope that John and I get a chance to visit a little before you go. We'd be so disappointed not to have a chance to talk to each of you. We seldom get to see Mary. We never get to see Maria, Rosa, or Shirley outside of the work environment. We'd love to hear more about Jose's school plans from Maria." Beth noticed Ed's manner in dealing with the women. He let them know that he felt each was important. No wonder they wanted to sleep with their men. She answered, "We'll see. Now run along and play with John." "Bye ladies." Ed turned and left the room. He hummed to himself as he left. He went off in search of John. Beth turned to Kelly and Ling. None of them had missed Ed's effect on the women in the room. She stated, "I think we need to talk before we can make any decisions." Mary turned to Beth and laid a hand on her hand. There were tears in her eyes. She begged, "I was fifteen years old when I was in a fire. As I stood there screaming in pain, this man comes in, picks me up, and carries me out of the fire. He was like a wizard as he strode through the flames with his staff held high lighting his way. Later, as I lay in the hospital I saw myself in the mirror. I knew at that moment, that I was no longer pretty. It was clear that no one would ever look at me and say that I was a pretty girl. I wanted to die. Then he came in the room. After talking to him for five minutes, he gave me hope. I knew after talking to him that one day I would be loved by someone. I knew that I was already loved by someone. I wasn't a hideous creature that had to hide itself from the world. Almost every time I've masturbated, it was he that I fantasized making love to me and erasing all of my scars. I know that in reality the scars on my face will never go away, but I hope that the scars inside me will evaporate." "Karla is a very pretty young lady. She was in the hospital when he was burned. He came in the room with a bunch of wounded kids and returned their childhood to them. He played games and read to them. Karla was drawing as a way to occupy her time. He praised her art and requested pictures. I've never seen them, but I know that they weren't very good. Yet, he made her feel special. She grew up never worrying about being ugly, she knew that he was out there and that he cared about her." Beth and Kelly both understood about burn patients. They had each treated more than one and each knew the horrors the patients faced. Many of the horrors were emotional and the knowledge that John had minimized the damage to those women touched them deeply. Both of them had tears running down their cheeks. Mary continued, "Give us our chance to thank him and complete our healing. You can't take that away from us. We are not the only ones that he has healed. Each woman in here has wounds that he has healed. Just because you can't see them doesn't mean they don't exist. They too, deserve their chance to thank him and complete their healing." Ling had broken down into tears and was sobbing quietly by herself. She felt guilty that she had been taken into the clan, when these other women deserved him more than she did. She looked around the room and could see the impact that Mary's words had on everyone. Mary stood and stated, "We will leave now and give you a chance to think about it. Please give our regards to John and Ed both. Let him know that we were sorry that we couldn't stay." Mary went to the door. The other women stood up and followed her, leaving Beth, Kelly, and Ling alone at the table. The three women were in a state of shock. Mary's words had made them small and possessive. Kelly invited Beth and Ling to her room for a drink. John and Ed sat in the hot tub talking about recent events. The incorporation of Ling into the marriage had been rather smooth. They were a little confused by Ann's behavior the past few times they had dealt with her. They were supposed to go to Ann's house for dinner the coming Friday. Her suggestion that they wear nothing was not exactly what they had expected from her. John speculated that she had some sort of breakdown. Ed countered that maybe something or some one had shown her that there were other ways to live. He offered that Marguerite might be responsible. Cathy entered the poolroom and went to the hot tub. She knelt down next to John and stated, "John, I just receive a call from a woman in Austin. She said that she's the daughter of Mrs. South." John turned to look at Cathy with apprehension. Concerned, he asked, "Is Mrs. South okay?" Cathy frowned and tried to put it delicately, "I'm afraid that she passed away this morning." John took a deep breath. He stated, "Okay, please arrange a jet to take me there as soon as possible. I'll need a rental car while I'm there. I'll be traveling alone. Let Ann know that I will not be able to attend her dinner and that I will make it up to her at an appropriate time. Let the wives know that I'll be leaving soon." Ed put his hand on John's shoulder. In a sad voice, he said, "I'm sorry to hear that she passed away. I didn't really know her, but I know that you were very fond of her." John nodded his appreciation. He answered, "Thank you Ed. We were friends for a long time. I will miss her, but she had a long and happy life." Ed stated, "You had better get packed." John replied, "I know." John stood up and got out of the hot tub. He dried himself off and went to his room to pack. He put a couple of his robes into his backpack along with some boxer shorts and socks. He dressed in a robe and put on his leather boots. He retrieved his cloak and walking stick. He was ready to travel. He went to Cathy's office. She was sitting behind her desk talking on the telephone to someone. He waited until she finished her conversation. He asked, "Do you have the telephone number for her house?" She checked her rolodex and confirmed, "Yes. It's right here." John was silent for a moment and then stated, "I'll be staying there for the funeral." "Check." "Where are my wives?" Cathy looked embarrassed for a minute. She dodged the question by answering, "I'm afraid that they are rather indisposed at the moment. They'll call you tonight." "What's the matter?" Cathy stated, "I promised that I wouldn't say." Ed came in the room. He turned to John and explained, "Beth and Kelly are drunk as skunks. They're in Ling's bathroom making frequent offerings to the porcelain god. Ling is taking care of them." John stated, "When you find out what their problem is, please let me know." Ed answered, "Of course, I'll question them a little later. I'm sure that I'll be able to get the whole story out of them." Cathy interrupted, "Bob is waiting for you with the car. He'll take you to the airport." John turned to both of them and waved goodbye. He headed out to the car with a heavy heart concerning his loss and his worries about his wives. Something bad must have happened today for them to get in that condition. Hours later, John sat in the living room with Liz, Mrs. South's daughter. She stated, "When Mr. Jenson had his stroke last month, she asked me to come over here." John interrupted, "He had a stroke? How come nobody told me." "She didn't want you to know. They had talked about what they would do in case either one of them had a major medical problem. Neither one of them wanted you disturbed by their health. They knew that you would spend a fortune on them and that at their age, it wouldn't be of much use." "Sounds like them." Liz returned to her earlier topic, "Anyway, when I came over that afternoon we sat here and talked about what I should do when she passed away. She had set aside a box of stuff that she wanted you to have. I will admit that I was a little shocked when I saw that it contained pictures of her. She said that you would understand." John's look conveyed that he did understand. He told her, "She was so proud of those pictures. She and Betsy used to look through them all the time. I have only seen a couple of them." Liz looked at him oddly, but continued. "She also gave me a letter to give to you. I put it in the box with the pictures." John looked around the house. He remembered the good times that he had there with Betsy, Mrs. South, and Mr. Jenson. With Mrs. South's passing, it seemed like a vital spirit had left the house. In a way, her death had cut the emotional connection to Austin that brought him back here so many times in the past. He sighed sadly. "She made me promise to ask you for a favor. Would you give the eulogy at her funeral?" John humbly answered, "I would be most honored." Liz continued, "There is one last thing. She wanted you to be able to use the house whenever you were here. She said this was as much your home, as it was hers." John stated, "Liz, I think that would be a financial hardship for you and your family. I thought she would make a request like that. Please, sell the house or rent it out, however you see fit. Do not worry about me." Liz smiled at his generosity in thinking of her needs at this time. "Thank you." John continued, "You have two boys in college and one about to go there next year. Am I right?" "Yes, you are." "I have set up a fund to pay their tuition and basic living expenses for them. You are the administrator of it. It is my hope that they continue to get their spending money by working their part-time jobs." Liz's eyes misted at the unexpected generosity. She asked, "why are you doing this?" "I was going to do it when they first entered college, but Mrs. South made me promise not to do it while she was alive. She wanted to contribute as much as she could to their education." John looked at the picture of Mrs. South on the wall. "I kept my promise. I know that she was sending you my rent money every month to help cover the cost of the tuition." Liz smiled at her memory of her mother's actions. She added, "She was so proud of that." John nodded his agreement. "Yes she was. We talked while I was living here, back when I was going to school about one thing. She repeated it several times since then." "What's that?" "It's rather personal and I know you will not like what I'm about to say," stated John. He took a deep breath. "Your mother was a very liberated woman. She always felt that you were missing some of the greatest things in life by your conservative ways. She hoped, that after she died that you would go to either a nudist club or a swing party just once for her." Liz cried into her hands. Weeping, she stated, "She was always after me to do that." John stated, "I know and I understand why she was that way." "Can you explain it to me?" "Is there any little thing that you do to relax, that's special just for you? Maybe you take a nice quiet bubble bath with a glass of wine. Maybe you like to lie in the sun on those nice warm days that are not too hot or too cold. Everyone has something." Liz nodded as she said, "Yes, there is something like that." John asked, "When you see someone who is tired or worn out from life, do you recommend that they do what you do?" "Sure." "For your mother, there was nothing better than having raw no- holds barred sex. For her, sex was her five o'clock glass of wine that she used to unwind. She never understood why you didn't enjoy it half as much as she did." John paused. "She hoped that if you relaxed once, that you would understand her source of her greatest pleasure." Liz asked, "Do you think I should do that?" John asked, "Why are you asking me?" "Because you know about this kind of stuff." His medallions felt warm on his chest as John replied, "I'll tell you what I think you should do. You should go home to your husband and talk with him. Tomorrow, if he's agreeable, come back here with him. I will hang a very transparent cloth between the living room and the dining room. I'll turn off all the lights in the living room. You and your husband can go in the dining room where all of the lights will be on. Strip and make love. You won't know if I'm in the living room watching you or in my bedroom taking a nap. You will either love it or hate it. I can't say which, but it will be the easiest test for you and your husband. I must warn you, your husband is liable to like it a lot." Liz frowned as she thought about it. Uncertain, she asked, "I won't know if you're watching?" "That's right. I think your mother would appreciate the tension that it would provide." John thought about the number of times that he had found Mrs. South and Mr. Jenson in various compromising positions. He added, "You are at a crossroad in your life and have a decision to make. You can do as I suggest and understand your mother or continue as you have and never understand her. Go home and think about it." When Liz had left, John opened the box she had given him. He went through the pictures of a very young Mrs. South, one at a time. She had been a beautiful woman when she was younger. You could tell from the pictures that she wasn't nervous about being naked in front of the camera. She was posed in very erotic positions in some pictures. Other pictures were action shots of her with various men and women. In all of them, she was smiling and happy. John sat back understanding the generosity of the gift that she had shared with him. She had given him a glimpse into the happiest times of her life. The envelope sat in the box demanding his attention. He reached over and picked it up. His name was scribbled on the outside. He opened it and removed the letter from it. With a sigh, he opened the letter and started to read it. Dearest John, I have considered you my son ever since the day you moved into the house. I am proud of all that you have accomplished. You are the best of all men that I have met. You are gracious, without being condescending. You treat all people, even the homeless, as equals. To those without hope, you give them a tomorrow. For those that are down on their luck, you restore the dignity of life. All who meet you, become better people for having met you. I thank God everyday for allowing me to know you. You brought such happiness into my life. At one time, I had thought I would leave my house to you, but you have no need for it. Instead, I am leaving my pictures to you. They are my most cherished possessions. They remind me of my youth, but they also capture my spirit that I have kept to this day. I know that when I reach heaven, my past lovers will be waiting to have a great orgy to celebrate my arrival. I will watch over you to the best of my ability. I know you need little in material goods. If you suddenly start getting many women coming to you for erotic adventures, you'll know I'm there. I'm kidding of course, but you never know. I am not worried about my daughter, I know that you will watch over her and my grandsons. You taught my grandsons to play in ways that my daughter and her husband couldn't. They will be okay. I know that and I know that you will make sure they get through college. I wish that she had a chance to experience the aspects of life that I enjoyed most. It was tough for her growing up. I was forty when I gave birth to her. I can imagine how she must have felt to have someone that looked more like a grandmother than a mother attending school functions. She even told people that I was her grandmother at times, but grandmothers don't act as I did. It is my dearest hope that you will get her to understand me a little better. I can't give you any advice, but I've noticed that you are very adept at figuring out exactly the right thing to say and do. If I know you, her life is going to undergo major changes. Maybe you can accomplish what I could not. You would think that a woman who has seen nine decades of life would be able to pass on great lessons of life to a young man. However, you know so much already that I can't think of much to tell you. Love the people around you. Let them love you. The greatest gift you can give someone is the chance to give of their self. The only thing you don't know is how to recognize when a person wants to give himself or herself to you. I wish you a long and healthy life. I guess my wish means little besides the blessing of your Gods and Goddesses, but I hope it helps. Love, Victoria South John read the letter twice. It had a tendency to ramble, but he recognized the true message that she had wanted to tell him. He knew that it must be hard to sit down and write a letter for someone to read only after you've died. He stayed there for a while thinking about the letter and then went to bed. Lying in bed, he thought about the medallion and the words upon it. He was beginning to understand it. On the side that showed a picture of a vagina were the words, "Choices To Make." On the side that showed a cock were the words, "To Make A Choice." He fell asleep to the realization that he had become the crossroad in other people's lives. ------- Chapter 5 John listened to the priest as he went through the prayers for the funeral. His treatment of this occasion was as if it were an event of little importance. The priest looked bored and went through the actions by rote. The occasional bursts of passion appeared when he remembered that a woman from the press was listening. It was soon John's turn to give the eulogy. He noticed the woman sit up straighter and he knew why she was here. John stepped up to the podium. He looked across the handful of faces that stared back at him. Her family was present, a few neighbors, and a couple people that were friends of his. This was a vastly different experience than the funeral of Betsy, yet Mrs. South was in many ways just as important to him. His medallion burned, as he cleared his throat. "When we look at the elderly, we see wrinkled faces, a fight against gravity that has been lost, and bodies that show the ravages of time. Young people, with faces unblemished and unmarked by cares of the world, look at the elderly and see ugliness. The person they see is not ugly. The ugliness is the future of woe and pain that the young see staring back at them." "Let us consider for a moment the lines etched upon their faces. These lines reflect the life and the experience of the person. It is tempting to say that the deeper the line, the more experience the person has with the cause of that line. However, life uses different size chisels to carve our experiences upon our bodies." "Some lines are deeply etched. Hard work, fears for their children's happiness, fights with illness, and concerns about money carve deep lines. It is hard to ignore them. It is tempting to say that these concerns represent the majority of a person's life. That is wrong. The chisel used to carve those lines is heavy and wielded by a clumsy hand." "However, there are other lines etched with a more delicate touch. Laugh lines around the eye brought about by years of laughter, shared pleasure, and interesting conversations. We see these lines and say this was a jolly person. It is remarkable that such lines even exist because the chisel is fine and wielded by a soft hand." "Finally, there are lines so finely wrought that it is almost impossible to see them. These lines come from intimate sharing. The young miss these lines completely. They can't see that grandma or granddad used to sit at the soda shop gazing lovingly into each others eyes. What young person can imagine granny getting her first kiss under the apple tree and cherishing that moment her whole life? Not many." "Mrs. South was like a mother to me. She taught me many things about life and love. She reminded me that all people, young and old have more things in common than two arms and legs. She taught me to read the wrinkles on the face and to see the life reflected on it as it was truly lived." "She taught me about love. She loved many people and many loved her in return. She told me stories about the people she knew. Most of the stories were tame while some others were risqué. That is the nature of intimacy; much of it we won't talk about in public or in private. The elderly tend not to talk at all about it as they feel they would look foolish. To hear an old person tell about when they were young, attractive, and desired by many sounds contradictory with their current appearance." "I look around this room and see few people in attendance beyond family and neighbors. Does that mean she had few friends? No, she had a lifetime of friends. She outlived so many, that there are few in the room. As people get older, they tend to get isolated. The frailties of age make them easy targets by unscrupulous villains. This is such a shame. All young people should have the chance I had to live with someone like her and learn the lessons of life from one that has experienced them. Instead, they turn to others just as ignorant as themselves for advice." "Mrs. South, I am proud to say, had a boyfriend even at her age. Their romance was unlike any I've seen in the young. They decided that they liked each other over coffee. There were no games, no little attempts to deceive, and a refreshing directness in their interaction. They started honestly and stayed honest. They knew that at their age they didn't have time to waste. I wish the young people in this room could have learned how to love others from them. I wish more of the elderly would take the risk and reach out to each other for love and affection." "For those of us gathered here to say goodbye to Victoria South, let us remember that she was a woman of great passion and she carried that passion with her to the very end. She loved life and the people around her with an intensity that awed those who knew her best. Thank you, Victoria South, for sharing your life with me." John sat down and looked around. The room was quiet and the priest remained to the side thinking over John's words. Many of the elderly in the room looked at each other with fresh eyes. Liz was crying as Herb held her gently. The grandsons gave him a thumbs up sign. He knew they understood the message he had given. The silence in the room stretched to a point that was uncomfortable. The reporter slowly eased her way out of the church. John wondered if he would hear about this on the news tonight. He stood up and walked over to the priest, tapping him on the shoulder. The priest was shaken from his introspection. He went to the podium and continued the service. John returned to his seat. He watched the people around him. He thought about the letter that she had left him and her gift of the pictures to him. He hoped that his eulogy did her justice. The funeral was over quickly. As John was leaving, the priest stopped him. "Dr. Carter, could I have a moment of your time?" John nodded as he answered, "Sure. What can I do for you?" "I just wanted to thank you for your words in there. You are a very charismatic speaker. You remind people that they should do their Christian duty to love one another. You have rejuvenated my faith this afternoon." John smiled at the irony. He answered, "Thank you. If I have helped you, then I have done my duty." "Are you a monk?" The robe and walking stick reminded him of a Dominican monk that he once knew. John smiled as he answered, "I am the Grand Druid." The priest raised an eyebrow in surprise. He hedged and stated, "I am not that familiar with the Druids." "Do not fear, we serve good. Our Gods and Goddesses require us to place ourselves between evil and those that would be harmed. We respect the help and comfort that churches of all kinds provide people." The priest decided that he would have to learn more about this cult. He politely replied, "I thank you again. I won't detain you any more." John left knowing that the priest had his doubts about him. He smiled as to what the man would think after he looked into his background. He expected to get a visit from him tomorrow. He took a few more steps and found himself beside the reporter. She was talking on her cell-phone to her grandmother. Her eyes were red and misty as though on the verge to tears. He smiled to himself when she saw him. She put her hand over the cell-phone before she asked, "Do you mind if I publish your eulogy?" "I don't mind. I said it for people to hear, remember, and share." She smiled, "Thank you, Dr. Carter." John nodded and walked away as she went back to talking to her grandmother. He stopped when he reached his rental car. Herb spotted him and came over to John in a fast walk. "Thank you, John. That was a lovely speech. Ah, about your offer the other day. Liz and I will be by tonight if that is alright with you." John smiled as he glanced up to the sky knowing that Mrs. South would be smiling down upon him at this moment. He answered, "That would be fine." "Good. For now, we are going to the seafood restaurant across the street for a little something to eat. Would you join us please?" "Sure, I would love to join you." The meal with the Brown family was pleasant despite the circumstances. It was nice to know they felt comfortable in considering him part of the family. He was reminded of the Friday dinners with Betsy and Mrs. South. Those had been fun days and nights. His life had not become any less fun, but it was a different kind of fun now. The family talked about John's eulogy. Liz had been particularly touched by it. The fearsome threesome had been more influenced by their grandmother than their parents realized. John knew that and respected their privacy in not talking about it in front of their parents. They were most enthusiastic in their appreciation for his eulogy stating that he had captured her spirit far better than they would ever be able. John arrived at home. It was nearly seven and he expected Liz and Herb to show up after they had dropped their sons off at home. He hung the transparent cloth between the living room and dining room. He turned the lights on in the dining room. He sat in the dark living room. He turned on the television to watch while waiting for them to arrive. He turned to the local channel to see what was happening in the area. He was shocked when he heard his eulogy being read on the air as a public message from the news station. They had found a man with a deep resonant voice that gave the message a stateliness that he could never achieve. He wondered how it would be received. There was a knock on the door. Surprised that they would knock John stood up and let them into the house. He turned off the television. Liz asked, "What do we do now?" John held his hands out with his palms up. "Well, you can go in the dining room. What you do in there, I may or may not see depending on whether I'm here or in my bedroom." Herb looked nervous, "I'm not really sure that I can perform with a possible audience." John put a hand on his shoulder. "There's only one person you have to concern yourself with, namely Liz. Do not worry about me or anything else. I'm sure that things will be perfect." As the couple moved into the dining room, John turned on a radio to a soft music station. They looked back at John, but could not see if he was standing there. They stood awkwardly looking at each other. After a bit, Herb suggested they dance to the music. John watched as they slowly moved around the room dancing and holding each other tightly. After the second song, Herb kissed her. She responded hesitantly, looking once in the direction of the living room. With time, the kisses became more passionate and their touches more intimate. When Herb began to remove her clothes, John left the room. He knew that it wasn't necessary for him to watch, only for them to think he might be watching. He looked up and winked, feeling that Mrs. South would see him. She must be happy now that her daughter had taken a major step. He lay down on his bed and thought about the conversation with Ed the other night. Ed had suggested they had a big problem that couldn't be handled over the telephone. He had been reassured to learn that the wives were not upset or angry at them. Apparently, the tea party that Ed had interrupted had not been a tea party at all, but a delegation of women presenting a demand upon the wives. Ed would not tell him the nature of the demand, but after reading the letter from Mrs. South, he had an idea. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. He glanced at the clock and realized that he had been lying there for an hour. He got up and opened the door. It was a very happy Herb. "Would you like to talk to us in the dining room over some coffee?" John smiled as he answered, "Sure, I'll be happy to join you." The men entered the dining room and sat at the table. Liz was humming in the kitchen as the coffee perked. She looked through the shelves searching for something on which to snack. Finding some pretzels and chips, she put them in two separate bowls. She brought them out to the dining table; setting them in easy reach of everyone. She disappeared from the room, returning after a minute with coffee cups. She sat down while the coffee maker continued to gurgle. Liz looked at John, "So how long did you stay?" John smiled and shook his head. He answered, "I'm not saying." "I hate to say this, but mother was right. We had the best sex of our lives here this evening. It reminded me of when we were dating and things would heat up before the end of the date. Usually, we would end up in the living room necking. We were terrified that my mother would come in and catch us with his hand on my breast or something." Herb added, "Yeah. It made it kind of special wondering if we were being watched." John leaned forward. "What would you have done if I had entered the room when you guys were really going at it?" Liz stated, "I don't know if I would have noticed." Herb stated, "I don't know if I would have gotten angry or invited you to participate." Liz giggled, "I would have preferred the later option." John had never heard Liz giggle. She tended to be very controlled. He laughed and congratulated them, "Well, I'm happy for you both. It appears to me that you discovered each other once again." Liz got serious. She asked, "Would you be upset if we stripped now while having coffee?" John looked at Liz in surprise. He realized that she wanted to push the boundaries a little more now that a major one had been demolished. He answered, "Would you like me to strip too?" Liz glanced nervously at Herb who shrugged his shoulders as if to say that it was up to her. She took a breath and answered, "That would be nice." John stood up and removed his robe. He dropped his boxers. Standing in front of her naked, he said, "I hope you like this scarred up mess." Liz and Herb stared at his body. The scars would have been terrifying to look at if they hadn't known their origins. Liz said, "Mom said that you were hurt frequently, I didn't realize." Herb asked, "You got all of those saving people's lives?" "Yes. Now why don't you guys get naked?" Liz and Herb removed their clothes with a lot more hesitation and embarrassment than John had when he had shed his. John watched as they stripped, sure that Mrs. South would appreciate what he was seeing. Liz was attractive woman despite her age. Her breasts were losing the war against gravity, she had a few varicose veins, and she had some unwanted fat around her waist. Her pubic hairs were turning gray. Herb could stand to lose a few pounds around the stomach, but he wasn't as worried about his appearance as Liz was. His cock was average size, neither large nor small. John sat down at the table and munched on a pretzel. He invited them to sit with him as though sitting around the table naked was an everyday activity. For him, it was. For them, this was one of the most difficult things they had ever done. John broke the silence that had settled on the room, "I was watching television before you came over this evening. They read my eulogy to your mother as a public service message." Liz sat back in surprise. "Really?" John smiled. "Yes. They had stated that it was a message that we should appreciate the elderly in our lives." Herb said, "It was an outstanding eulogy. It touched me when you talked about the lines in the face that we didn't see. The part about intimacy really got to me." Liz added, "It got to me too. I thought back to how happy my mother was in the mornings. Then I remembered how she said that she always woke dad up in the morning by giving him a blowjob." John laughed as he said, "She did more than that when you weren't around." Liz blushed as she thought back to the pictures in the box that she had given John. Her mother had been quite a wild woman. She said, "I could tell that from the pictures that she left to you." Herb asked, "So what was it like living here with her?" "Oh, it was an adventure. You never knew what she was doing with Mr. Jenson. Betsy and I would come home to find her giving him a blowjob in the middle of the living room. Sometimes we'd open the pantry to find them in there doing it. They were always making love to each other." Herb grimaced at the mental image of the old couple naked. He asked, "Wasn't that disgusting?" John got a serious look on his face. "No. Love is never disgusting. They loved each other and expressed it as often as they were physically capable." Liz heard the tone in his voice. "You found it very touching." John nodded as he said, "Yes, I did. We spend the first fifteen years of our life being loved by our parents. Then we go forth and seek a mate, going from one love affair to the next. Finally, we find a spouse who loves us. For the next thirty to fifty years, there is love in our life. Then, much to our dismay, the spouse dies. We are alone and unloved on a daily basis. Sure, our children love us, but they are busy with their lives and loves. After a whole life of being loved, they are condemned for the rest of their life to live alone. Yes, I found it touching that this late in her life she found love and was able to express it in the most intimate way that men and women express their love." Herb thought about it for a long time and gazed upon Liz as he tried to imagine giving up his life with her forever. Liz was looking at Herb as though she was seeing him for the first time. John recognized that this was a private moment for both of them. He went into the kitchen and retrieved the coffeepot. He carried it back into the dining room. He poured the coffee into the cups set around the table. He carried the pot back into the kitchen and returned with a small container of milk. He sat down and looked around the table. Liz turned to John stating, "Tell me what you think about love." John studied Liz for a moment. He realized at that time, she wasn't sure what love was. He answered, "Love is wanting to do whatever you can to make someone else's life the best that it can be. That was one thing that your mother knew very well." Herb asked, "So what did all of her swinging have to do with love?" John replied, "have either of you looked at another person and thought, I would like to know what they are like in bed?" The couple looked at each other for a moment, each afraid to admit the truth. Finally, Herb answered, "Sure." "Suppose one day you came home and Liz was there with that person. She smiles at you and tells you that this woman is yours for the evening. She adds that when you are done, she wants to hear all of the details as you fuck her. What would you think of Liz for giving you a gift like that?" Herb answered, "Shocked. Amazed. Overwhelmed. I think those are the words that come to mind." "Would it lessen your love for her?" Herb laughed, as he replied, "No way." "What would you do to give her the same sensations of being overwhelmed?" Herb got serious. "I don't know what I could do other than to return the favor in some way." "Why would you bring a man that she finds attractive home for her to sleep with?" Herb glanced at Liz. "I would want her to know just how much her gift meant to me." John turned to Liz. "What would you be thinking as your husband is in the next room fucking the woman you brought home for him?" Liz laughed as she answered, "I'd be thinking he had better appreciate this." "And if he did?" Liz stopped laughing as she seriously thought about it. She started to answer, "Well, I guess..." Herb looked at her carefully as she worked it out for herself. She stated, "I would be worried that he appreciated her more than me." "Honey, how could you possibly think that? What other woman would do that for her husband?" She frowned as she answered, "I guess I'm insecure. I look in the mirror and the woman that looks back at me is not the same one that you married." Herb laughed as he put his hands under his stomach and bounced it up and down. He asked, "Is this the body you married?" She laughed. Her answer was simple, "No." John laughed at the exchange, "I don't think your marriage is based on how your bodies look. Is it?" Herb and Liz shook their heads. John asked, "Herb, do you remember the first time that you saw Liz after you first son was born?" Herb nodded, "She was sweaty, tired, and a mess. I don't think I ever loved her more than at that moment." "She wasn't wearing make-up with her hair done up perfectly like in the movies?" Liz laughed as she answered, "God no. I was a complete mess." "Yet, he loved you more at that moment than ever before." John took a sip of his coffee. Liz put a little milk in hers and stirred it with a spoon. She continued to stir it as she thought about the conversation. She was thinking about Herb. She wondered who it was that he might want to sleep with at this time in his life. She finally stopped stirring and took a sip of the coffee. "Herb, would you like me to bring another woman home for you?" "I really don't know anymore," he replied. He took a sip of his coffee and looked at her. He saw the look of disbelief on her face and added, "I quit dreaming about things like that happening years ago. It made me sad when I realized that it would never happen, so I gave up on it." Liz looked at him with concern. "You used to dream about it. I never knew that." He asked, "Didn't you ever have fantasies?" She was about to answer of course not, but she realized that her answer was the same as his had been. She stated, "Yes, I did. I gave up on most of them, too." John took a handful of chips and munched on them while Herb and Liz sat around the table. After this round of discoveries about each other and themselves, each found they felt alone. They knew that somehow in the years of their marriage, each had lost something precious. John was a patient man and would be willing to wait all night if necessary. Herb cleared his throat and asked, "what now?" "You get to rediscover them. Wake them up a little at a time." John answered before Liz had a chance to answer. Her answer would have been negative in tone leading an air of hopelessness to their situation. Liz looked over at John in shock. She asked, "Are you suggesting that we live out the few fantasies that we have?" "Well, it is that or give up on all of your fantasies," he answered. "Which one do you prefer? I suggest that you don't answer that now. Go home, get naked with each other and discuss it there. Find out what your fantasies are." "There is one rule that you both must follow. You shouldn't laugh at the fantasies of the other. Suppose he wants to wear a dress while you are in a man's suit. That's okay, because it is a fantasy. Acting it out could be fun. You see, you don't know until you've tried it. In fact, I would suggest you do that whether either one of you wants to or not. Get the ridiculous out of the way. Visit the ridiculous frequently." Herb laughed at the image John's suggestion invoked. "I can just imagine me prancing around the house in a dress." Liz laughed aloud as she said, "That would be funny." John stood up and walked over to Herb. His medallion hung heavy around his neck. He reached down and fondled Herb's cock. The cock reacted to the sensation by becoming half-erect while the man sat in shock. John walked over to Liz and gently cupped her breast. John stepped away from both of them. "Don't rule out anything. Even sex with the same gender can be interesting and exciting for everyone involved. If she wants to see you suck a cock, seriously consider sucking a cock. That is love. Giving her what she would like. Of course, the same is true for her." He bent down and picked up his clothes. He looked at the shocked couple. "Now, I have to get to bed. You can get dressed and go whenever you are ready. I'm sure that you have lots of stuff to talk about." John headed to his bedroom. He was going to have a busy day tomorrow. He was planning on going to the police station, the university, the fire station, and the hospital. He also decided that he might swing by Karla's place and see how she was doing. It was an hour later that Herb and Liz left the house. They had come to three major decisions that night. The first was that they were not going to sell the house, but keep it as a love nest. The second was that they were going to talk about their fantasies and maybe live a few of them out. The third was that Liz was going to request to have a couple of pictures of her mother. That night John dreamt of a smiling Mrs. South as she was surrounded by her friends. She was young again and naked as the day she was born. She was not embarrassed by her lack of clothing. She strutted as if she wanted him to know how good she looked. She gave him a wink and blew him a kiss to let him know that he had done well by her. She returned to her friends. ------- Chapter 6 The house was quiet when John walked through the door. He had expected to be met by someone, but no one was around. He was disappointed, but not excessively so. He walked to the back of the house and walked to his room. There was a note taped to the door. He took down the note and went into his room. He dropped off his backpack in its normal spot. He sat down in his chair and opened the note. He read that he was to go down to Maria's restaurant. Leaving the house behind, he walked down the street. A number of houses were dark where he thought they should have been lighted. As he passed Maria's house, he paused and looked at his old house. He went inside and walked to the back. He looked out at the desert. For some reason he was feeling melancholy, as though he were about to embark on a new lifestyle that was one that he did not select. He left the house and continued down the street. It only took him five minutes to reach Maria's restaurant. He entered and froze when he saw the people gathered there. Across the back of the restaurant was a table with his family. A chair was reserved for him. There was a line of tables down each side. Seated at those tables must have been twenty women or more. The arrangement of tables reminded him of the way the tables had been set up for their medieval party. He slowly made his way to the head table. His family smiled at him as he made his way to their side. He smiled back, curious as to what was going on. He took a minute to kiss everyone hello. He sat down in the chair reserved for him. He leaned over to Ed, "What's going on?" Ed whispered back, "Just wait and see." Noises started to emerge from the back of the restaurant. The husbands and boyfriends of the women present came out with trays of food that they served to everyone present. Only a few of the men looked in his direction. When Maria's husband set a plate in front of him, John stated, "Thank you very much." "There is no need to thank me, I should thank you." Her husband smiled at him. John watched him curiously as he returned to the kitchen. He glanced over at Ed, but Ed looked away. He took a sip of the iced tea and dug into his meal deciding that there was nothing better to do. His attempts to get more information about this evening had proved futile so he took a wait and see attitude. There was small talk as people ate their meals. Even at his table, his family asked him about the funeral and his stay in Austin. He told them about his experiences there. He didn't go into the details of his exchanges with the Brown family, as that was personal for them. He was surprised to learn that his eulogy had actually played on national television and that there were several sacks of mail at the house for him. He finished the enchiladas, tacos, and frijoles. His appetite sated, he pushed the plate away and sat back. He looked at all of the women gathered in the room. The fact is, he had never seen so many women gathered together in one room. He hadn't had that many women in his physics for nurses class that he taught one summer. Even that class was about a third men. He knew all of the women here. He knew that some had traveled across the country to be here. Karla, whom he had tried to visit in Austin, was here. The men emerged from the kitchen and started removing the dirty plates and wiping down the tables. John watched as the men winked at their wives or girlfriends. Some of the men winked at more than one woman. Things were very odd here, but he couldn't place his finger on the undercurrent flowing through the room. Soon the tables were cleared of all but glasses. Each glass was filled with the appropriate beverage. There were numerous bottles of wine set out on the tables. All of the men left through the front door, each pausing to say goodnight before exiting. David walked out of the back of the room and stepped into the open center. He winked at Karla, who smiled back at him. David spoke out, "John. I am here representing the men who care for the women in this room. We want you to know that we understand what is going to happen and give our permission." John sat there puzzled, unsure what he was supposed to do. He was shocked when Dave left out the front door like the rest of the men. John turned to look at Ed hoping to get an explanation from him. Ed licked his lips and looked away. John turned to look at Kelly. She smiled and put a finger to his lips, "Don't say a word." Mary stood up and faced the front table. She looked around nervously and seemed to gain strength from the other women gathered there. She stated, "One day, a knight in shining armor rescued me from the breath of an angry dragon. This knight treated my wounds and then rode off into the sunset to save yet another fair maiden from disaster. Left behind, I dreamed of the day when I could reward my knight in shining armor. Time passed and I grew into a woman." John was about to say that he had been amply rewarded when Kelly's finger touched his lips. Mary continued, "I traveled the land far and wide looking for my knight. Along the way, I found true love from a woman fair, a blind man that could see, and a prince. Sadness entered my heart, as I knew that I couldn't return it until I found my knight. I found him to learn that he had three wives and a husband. My loves understood and told me how I could express my thanks in the way that a maiden should." As Mary sat down, Shirley stepped to the center of the room. "One night, a stranger tall, dark, and handsome entered my bar. He tamed the wild beast called Ed, making life easier for all in the town. He treated me, a simple barmaid, like a queen and swept me off my feet. I pined for his affection and dreamed of being the queen in his kingly bedchamber, even if only for a night." "I watched as he regained a lost love and then lost her again. My hopes soared, but the king found two queens, another king, and lately another queen. My heart was broken, but then I found true love from a maiden rescued from a dragon, a blind man that can see, and a prince because of his generosity. Sadness entered my heart. I could not return that love until I had thanked my king. How does a lowly barmaid thank a king? My loves told me a way." Shirley returned to her seat as Maria took her place. She told her story, "One morning a hermit wearing only a loin cloth came to my aid. He walked through angry serpents to rescue my greatest treasure from being stolen by death. He increased the value of my treasure by polishing it and made it the envy of all that saw it. From the hermit's example of a simple life and gentle manner, my husband learned to value his wife, a lowly peasant woman. He even brought to me a new love in the form of a beautiful woman who I had long desired and now have." "I, a lowly peasant woman who has learned to value herself, wish to reward the hermit. This hermit, though, has found love in the form of a husband and three wives. So how can I reward him? My husband, a man of honor and dignity, understands the debts that even a lowly peasant woman can feel. He suggested how I could repay this hermit." Maria sat down as the other Maria stood up. She walked to the center of the room and turned to face John. "One day, a wise man came to me in my place of business. He told me how I could make more money by bringing my goods to the customers rather than requiring them to come to me. His wisdom saved my business and my house from the evil banker that lusted after them." "The wise man went through town spreading his wisdom to others. He taught the men and women how to love each other and to treat each other nicely. Those men and women came to my place seeking a place for their romance. My business grew and with the money I earned, I was able to make a better life for my children. I dreamed of thanking him, in the only way that a woman can. However, the wise man has three wives and a husband so a great sadness fell upon me. One day, my loving sister came to me and told me how I could thank him." Maria sat down as Rosa took her place. "Unmarried and with child, I came home to live under the protection of a loving sister. Day after day, I saw the burdens that she carried and it broke my heart. I went to the church and prayed for a miracle every morning for a month. Then one day, an angel visited my sister and lessened her burdens in answer to my prayers. To my surprise, the angel visited me and taught me that I still had a right to dignity despite my past transgressions." "He came to me many times. When I was down, he cheered me up. He treated me like a lady, calling me ma'am and talking to me with great politeness. He never treated me as a whore. So how could I, a fallen woman, reward an angel? One night, I found love in the form of a gentleman and his wife. He told me how I could repay this angel." Rosa sat down. There was a long pause as the women looked at each other. Juanita Mendosa finally stood and took the center of the room. She looked for support from the women along the side of the room. She stated, "I speak for a number of women in this room. Our stories are similar or the same, so it only needs to be told once. I once was a woman that lived in a shoe with too many kids and nothing to do. My husband was too busy to pay attention to me and I had too many kids to look for attention elsewhere." "Then one day, cupid came to town. He brought enlightenment to Ed, a bigot and a bully. He spread a message of love and understanding to the men and women of the town. To a woman of conventional standards, such as me, his message was shocking. If you can love one, then you can love more than one. If you can love one sex, then you can love the other. To the men, the message undermined all that they held true." "Cupid did not talk, he taught by demonstration. On the day of his wedding to his two wives and husbands, some men of the town decided it was time to stop cupid. They found themselves in a tent drinking beer and whiskey. Then Ed came to talk to the men and stated cupids message in a form they could understand. The men left enlightened." "That night, many women of the town found flowers and presents upon their arrival home from the festivities. Their husbands talked to them through the night about love. The wives could not believe their ears as the men confessed their own fear and doubt. Men who had acted strong were in fact worried that they were not strong enough. The men were shocked to learn from their wives that they wanted gentlemen." "The wives used Ed as an example of a man that went from strong macho man to a gentleman. The gentleman, Ed, was polite and well mannered. He took his time and listened to people. He helped those around him. There was nothing soft about Ed, the gentleman. To learn that their own wives preferred the new Ed was more shocking than anything else that they had heard." "Marriages that had faded now bloomed anew. Husbands and wives worked together to watch the kids so that other wives could spend time with their husbands. Informal family groups formed with three or more couples loving each other. Men tried men and women tried women. The results were surprising to many people." "Now the happy wives gathered together one day. They asked the question as to how they could thank cupid for the amazing changes to their lives. They talked for days and many ideas were exchanged. The wives went to the husbands and asked the husbands for advice. The husbands met and decided that there was only one way to thank cupid. Since cupid spoke of love, then the wives should give to cupid their love. The wives thought about it and decided that it was right and proper. The husbands came back and told the wives how to go about it." She sat down and her place was taken by another woman. John only knew her slightly from the flower shop. She usually worked in the back and he dealt with the man at the counter. He struggled to recall her name and then remembered that it was Wanda. She stated, "My story is rather different, as I have never formally met the man who saved my life. I grew up in this town. As long as I can remember, I have liked men and women both. While I liked men, the idea of sleeping with a woman made my knees weak and my lower region wet. In a small town, you do not ever admit that you desire to sleep with a person of the same gender. One day at a party, I drank too much and attempted to seduce a cheerleader. My attempt was public and by morning the whole town knew what I had done." "Overnight I became a leper, women avoided me and men threatened me with rape so that I could learn to love men. I left town and moved to a big city where I could make love with the people of my choice. I was forced to return when my parents died to take over the flower shop. The memory of a small town is long and I had to hire someone to deal with the customers or else go out of business. Daily, as I trimmed stems, I pondered suicide; imagining the knife slicing my wrists rather than the stems." "Then one day I heard that a strange marriage, of two men and two women, was taking place. Shortly after that, a woman came to the shop to talk to me. I, who had not talked with anyone in months, had a visitor. To my surprise, she asked me about how to make love to a woman as she had found a woman that she desired. This visit was followed by others from other women. A few men came to ask about same gender love." "My life has changed. I now have regular lovers, a man and a woman. I can take over the front counter and not loose any business. Business is better as people learned to love one another. Gifts of flowers became common practice." "I looked around to find what was responsible for my new found life. It came down to a single hero and my best customer. Now, as I trim the stems with my knife, I wonder how I could thank this amazing man. My lovers suggested how I could I thank him." She sat down to be replaced by Linda Redman. John was surprised to see her there. She stated, "One day a man walked across a desert to talk with a medicine man of my tribe. He paid a great price for his trip, losing three feline friends. From that meeting came a center of higher learning that has returned an ancient culture back to a lost people and has armed the people to better take care of themselves." "The tribe met and talked of the charity of this man. Many of the tribe wanted to make him a member, but the medicine man said that while he would appreciate the gesture he walked with different spirit guides. The discussions went on for hours. Finally, I, an Indian maiden, stood up and stated that she would thank him on behalf of the tribe." "There were arguments against a woman being sent to thank the man, but the counter argument was undeniable. I argued that this man had returned our children to the tribe. It should be the women of the tribe to thank him. It was rare, but not unknown, in the past for great heroes to be rewarded in this fashion." "The tribe agreed with my arguments. However, the question remained concerning how I could present this hero with his reward. A suggestion came from a tribal member that had long been lost to us and has recently returned to us." She sat down and her place was taken by Karla. John watched Karla walk over to the center of the room. She wore a short skirt and her scars were clearly visible. She stated, "I was once a little girl that lived in misery. I escaped into my own world through my art. Daily I moved farther and farther from the real world. My experiences with the real world were painful as they changed my bandages. Then one day a handsome man shattered my world and showed me other ways to escape that were temporary. He gave me the world of books. He freed me from experiencing the real world only in terms of pain and taught others how to keep that pain from my life." "He valued the art I had created. Today I know that my drawings were simple, but he appreciated them. I understand now that he appreciated the effort that I put into them and not the pictures themselves. At the same time he gave a value to my art, that I had not known was there. I found that I could give pleasure through my art and in doing so get pleasure from that act." "I have since found love from a handsome young man that sees me and not my scars. However, I can not return that love in full measure until I pay past debts. I owe my benefactor for freeing me from my misery and giving value to my life when it had none. My lovely young man knew of my plight and took me to his parents. Together they told me a story of how they once thanked the same man. My lover suggested that I repay my debt in the same way and I must admit that I found the idea quite pleasing. The question was how to do so. A friend from my days of misery told me of a way." Karla stepped away from the center of the room and returned to her seat. John felt that it was his turn to reply and was about to stand when Beth stood. She walked to the center of the room. Facing John she stated, "One day a delegation of women came to visit our home to make known to us, your wives, their problem. They told us of their need to express their thanks to our husbands and the manner in which those thanks were to be expressed. We arranged this dinner so that you, our dear husband, would know that all people here are here by their own desire." Beth returned to her seat as Kelly took her place. She stated, "As a woman, I know the devastation that can occur when a man who I respect refuses my advances. The greater and more significant the man is in a woman's life, the greater the hurt and anguish. For you to refuse their offers would be cruel and harsh punishment." Kelly sat down as Ling took her place. "I, your newest wife, understand best their plight. For me, it was to become your wife or to leave your presence forever. You took me in and I can see you doing no less for these lovely ladies. You have our permission to be with these ladies." Ling sat down as all eyes turned to John. John took a sip of his iced tea and considered what he was about to say. He stood facing the crowd, "Ladies, I am most honored this evening by your stories and your desires. Normally I would accept your offers in a minute. I can not do so as the offers have been made. Many others have reasons to be thankful for the events that have happened to you. They too must have a need to thank someone." John paused and looked around the room at the women's reactions. Most were looking downcast and embarrassed. He continued, "If my wives will support me, then I will make a counter proposal. When a woman comes to our house to thank me, I wish that she bring someone else who wishes to express their thanks by making one of my wives or husband happy for an evening." Ed spoke for the first time, "It is a fair proposal and one that all in this room should be willing to embrace. I wish that I had thought of it two days ago when it was my turn to sit in your chair. I must beg to be left out as I have a line of people wishing to thank me as well." Kelly, Beth, and Ling looked at each other. Suddenly they realized that giving another person a bevy of people to love was an entirely different experience from being given a number of people to love. They had arranged this so that they could be giving to these women without thinking of how John or Ed might feel. Ling broke the silence, "you have my agreement." Kelly and Beth stated together, "You have mine." The other women in the room breathed a sigh of relief. There was a chorus of women saying that they accepted that condition. John waited until the noise quieted down, "Tonight, Karla and David shall come home with us as I know she must leave tomorrow. I shall allow you to work out the remainder of the schedule among yourselves." The women in the room slowly dispersed as they went in search of the men in their lives. There was much for each couple to discuss. Karla had asked them to look for David and to send him back to the restaurant. Karla went outside to wait for David. The family sat together at the table. John turned to the wives, "I am sorry for dragging you into this, but they would not be thanking me if it were not for you." "John, I'm so sorry that we did this to you. You should have been given a chance before we sprang this on you. The same goes for you Ed." "That's okay Kelly." "You were right in asking that they include the men. None of us considered their feelings in the matter. We were so focused on ourselves. All of us were horribly selfish." "Beth, you weren't being selfish. You were trying to do the right thing." Ling looked around, "Thank you, John for being so understanding. Ed, I really apologize to you. Can you forgive us?" Ed smiled, "Of course, I agreed with you and thought this was a way to help them get on with their lives. I did not think it through like John, but our intentions were good." At home, John opened the door to his room and led a very nervous Karla into it. She looked around the room taking in the sparse décor. She looked at the wall seeing for the first time her pictures hung in the order she had given him. Even the first two pictures she did for him were there. She put a hand to her mouth in surprise, "You've kept them all." John smiled, "Of course, I treasure them immensely." She went to look at the first two pictures. She frowned, "What did you ever see in these pictures? Why did you keep them?" John knelt down to look at them. He turned to her, "I see a little girl that was happy and proud. Do you see that little squiggle there? That is where you were afraid for half a second that I wouldn't like the picture. Those two pictures are my most valuable possessions." With tears in her eyes, Karla hugged him, "You never cease to amaze me. Why did you care for a little girl like that?" John hugged her tightly and gently kissed her on the forehead. "You're very important to me. You've thanked me many times. Every time I see you smile instead of frown, I can only marvel." Karla stepped back while begging, "Please sleep with me." He picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. Setting her gently on the bed, he laid down next to her. He kissed her gently. Years of masturbatory fantasies kicked in driving up her excitement level. She sat up so that she could remove her shirt. He helped pull her shirt up and over her head. Her small breasts, unconstrained by a bra, were topped by hard nipples. His fingers circled her nipples causing her to catch her breath as a wave of excitement washed over her. He bent down and sucked upon a nipple, enjoying the response that his action induced. He undid her skirt and, as she lifted her hips, removed it from her. Her plain white panties followed the skirt quickly. He reached down and pulled off his boots. He wrestled with his robe to remove it. His boxers were next to go. Karla looked down at his cock with wide eyes. Her trembling hand reached out to touch it. It swelled under her touch as his blood rushed into his cock. She moved to watch it swell to a fully erect state. John flexed his internal muscles causing his cock to jump. She leaped back in surprise and then giggled. Despite the fact that she was now twenty, her innocent examinations of his cock made him think of the younger girl before she had grown up. She bent down and licked his cock. He ran his hand down between her legs, touching her soft downy pubic hair. He rubbed a finger along the length of her wet slit, eliciting a groan of pleasure from her. Her attention to his cock stopped as she settled back to enjoy his touch. He continued his slow rubbing and then slid a finger into her cunt. She arched her back in pleasure. Curling his fingers, he rubbed her G-spot while sucking upon her breasts. She quickly approached the verge of an orgasm. He climbed atop her and positioned his cock at her entrance. He started a slow rocking motion that slowly drove his cock into her. Her tight cunt slowly stretched to admit his member. She murmured, "It's so big, it's so good." He slowly worked his way into her. She wrapped her legs around his ass, pulling him into her. Finally, he had fully buried himself in her. She made little panting sounds as he began stroking into her a little faster. Her pants turned into little grunts the emerged in time with his thrusts. Her chest was flushed. She was covered with a fine sheen of sweat. She was close, very close to coming. The tight sensations on his cock were almost too much. He reached down and squeezed her nipple roughly. The shocking sensation took her over the edge. He followed her over, filling her with his juices. He carefully lifted his body off hers and lay beside her on the bed. He took her in his arm in a loving embrace and held her. His other hand slowly stroked her arm in a relaxing rhythm. Tired from his trip, the dinner, and now the passionate love making with Karla, he fell asleep. She nestled into his body and slept as well. He awoke before sunrise and went to perform his daily ritual while watching the sun break over the horizon. He returned to his room and watched Karla sleeping peacefully in bed. Leaning against the wall, he waited for her to wake. It was a long wait, but he enjoyed the view. Waking, Karla looked around for John. She smiled on seeing him leaning against the wall. "Good morning." John smiled, "Good morning. I hope you slept well." He went to her and kissed her gently on the lips. When she went to pull him back into bed with her, he resisted. "We should go eat breakfast. I'm sure the others are waiting for us." She grumbled without ill intent as she dressed. Once dressed, he led her, holding hands, to the dining room. They entered to find Beth, Kelly, Ling, Ed, and David seated around the table eating eggs with salsa. David's eyes lit up on seeing her. Karla smiled at David and moved to sit next to him without even looking back at John. David leaned over to her. In his excitement his voice was a little louder than he intended, "Beth taught he how to pleasure a woman with my tongue. The whole time I was learning, I kept thinking to myself that I couldn't wait to do that for you." As Karla blushed, Beth theatrically complained, "And here I thought you were only thinking of me. Even with a woman as gorgeous as me, he thinks of Karla. Ah, it must be true love." Karla smiled over at Beth. "I must train him better." Beth leaned over kissing Karla on the forehead, "My dear, you have him trained perfectly well already." John put a hand on David's shoulder. "When I first met you, I knew that you would grow up to be a good man. You are a good man. I will proudly welcome you and yours into our home anytime you may wish entrance." David looked uncomfortable at the praise, "Thank you, Uncle John." John added, "We have a room upstairs that you and Karla may use if you should desire to freshen up before leaving. Sarah shall take you up there when you finish eating." David got a huge grin, "Thank you, Uncle John." John smiled, "You're quite welcome." Karla looked shyly at the plate of eggs that Marguerite had brought out for her. She looked up at John, "When I talked to David's mother about my desire, she told me an interesting story. Is it true?" John looked Karla in the eye, "I am sure that whatever she told you is true. David's parents are great people and I suggest that you both spend some time talking to them about marriage. If you listen to them, I'm sure that you'll be as happy together as they are with each other." ------- Chapter 7 The mountains of North Carolina are much older than the Rocky Mountains. The lines of the mountains are gentler and more rounded. They are more peaceful than the Rocky Mountains, which tend to invoke greater awe. It was here that John chose to build the Druid College. Five thousand acres of land had been purchased and a road cut a third of the way into it. The building sites had been cleared of trees. The parking lot had already been poured. The architect, Melvin Harrison, took them to the first building site by the parking lot. He pointed to the area. "This will be the administration building. It will be four stories high. The first story will provide public services, such as admissions and testing. The business areas will be on the top three floors. Initially, only the second floor will be occupied. The top two floors will be available for expansion, as per your request." John asked, "All floors will be completely finished, correct?" "Yes. All walls and fixtures shall be included." Ed looked at the site. "It's a rather large building area." Melvin replied, "Yes it is. I felt that increasing the overall area of the building would help give a spacious calming feel to the building. The waiting areas, testing areas, and admissions areas are large and spacious. With the incorporation of carpet and plants throughout the building it will also be quiet." The architect led them to the site just to the left of the administration building site. He paused, "This building will be the faculty quarters. Like the other building, it will be four stories. The building is huge because of the number of faculty members you wanted to support and the amount of space for each apartment you requested." The architect led their party to the other side of the administration site. He pointed to the site, stating, "This building will be the maintenance facility. This will be a three-story building. The bottom level will be a garage for repair of college vehicles and a loading dock. The second level will be a set of repair rooms and machine shops. The third level will incorporate office spaces. There will be freight elevators at both ends." John nodded, "There is space over there for an extension if necessary?" Melvin answered, "Yes." The architect took them to a building site behind the administration. He smiled, "This is the first year dorm. Three stories of rooms set up for four occupants. A large public area in the center of the first floor for recreation, a similar study area on the second floor, and a dining room on the third floor." Melvin pointed to building sites off to the sides, "the other dorms are off to the other sides. They have individual private rooms. The dorm sites form a semi-circle around the library." Melvin walked to the next site. "This is the library and will be built in the shape of a circle. It stands in the center of the great circle formed by all the other buildings. There will be second floor walkways from all of the other buildings to it." He pointed to the sites on the other side. "Those will be the science buildings to the right and those to the left with be the liberal arts." John nodded, "I like the layout. You've allowed for the expansion outwards from the circle. So when will it be done?" Melvin looked a little nervous as he answered, "Well, if we start now, we can finish it all in four years. That will require a very large work crew." Ed asked, "Can you finish five of the buildings in the next year?" "Perhaps, it would be tight." John stated, "I would like to see the administration building, faculty apartments, first year dorm, library, and a liberal art building completed first." Melvin replied, "That's kind of spread out all over the place, but I don't see why not. We should be able to get five buildings a year done." John looked at Ed for his impressions. Ed stated, "Depends on the crew. Shouldn't be too difficult to find a couple of good crews." John nodded, "Okay, let's do it." John walked off with Ed while the architect talked to the rest of his party. John stated, "We should be able to open in two years. I guess it will be time for us to start our faculty search." Ed stated, "We'll need someone to do the ground work for us." John nodded, "Maybe we can get another guy in the house." Ed walked along beside John. He didn't say anything for several minutes. Finally, he blurted out, "I'd like to start trying to get another husband." "Robert?" "Yes." John nodded, "Good choice. All the wives like him. Have you talked to them yet?" "No, I wanted to talk to you first." "Why?" "Well, I don't know how well you like him." John thought about it for a minute. He wasn't sure how much he liked Robert. They had very little interaction. He did respect him a lot. "I don't know. Is he interested?" Ed nodded, "I don't know. I guess we should start dating him." John laughed, "So who is going to ask him out first?" Ed walked along with John until they reached the rental car. Ed went over to the passenger side, "I guess it should be me." John got into the car and started the engine as Ed got in the car. Ed fastened his seat belt as John pulled out of the parking lot. They had an hour drive to the nearest airport. As John turned right onto the highway, he stated, "Maybe we ought to invite him over to dinner with all of us." "Not a bad idea. His sister is still waiting to have her night with you and she doesn't have a loved one to bring for the wives. Maybe we should suggest that he come over that night." John drove for a bit. He stated, "Not good. I want to keep the two things separate." Ed thought about it. "You're right. Let's just invite him over for dinner." "Okay." The rest of the drive was made in silence, as the men were lost in their own thoughts. Ed was wondering about the chances of getting Robert into the family. John was thinking about the college. He considered how to find the person to search for the faculty. Of course, much of the faculty would come from the Druids who had advanced degrees. John returned the rental car at the airport. He and Ed walked over to the private jet terminal where they were greeted by the flight crew. Ed got on the jet to return home. He would set up a dinner for Robert to be held on the night that John returned home. John watched the jet take off and disappear into the clouds. He went inside the terminal to wait for a jet to arrive to take him to the capitol. He was told that he would be in the air in an hour. In the mean time, he watched the television in the waiting room while drinking a soft drink. It was a quiet news day. The plane landed at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport. It was his first time in the nations capitol and he had no clue how difficult it was to maneuver through the traffic there. Deciding not to risk getting lost, John grabbed a cab to take him to FBI headquarters. The traffic in the downtown area of Washington was horrible and he was glad that he hadn't rented a car. The cab driver pulled up to FBI headquarters and let him out. John wasn't aware of why he had been summoned to Washington, but he wasn't concerned. He walked through the doors. There was a line of people at the security gate, but the line moved rather quickly. John stepped up to the security gate. He handed the guard his walking stick and then passed through. The guard wasn't going to give back his walking stick until John showed his FBI badge. At the elevator, John looked at the directory trying to locate Mike Holden's office. He didn't see it there. He went to the information booth and asked for directions to Mike's office. The woman looked at him, taking in his strange attire, and made a quick call. A security guard came to take John to Mike Holden's office. John had a feeling that he was being treated as a suspected villain rather an as an agent. He smiled as they headed up to Mike's office. John entered the front office of Mike Holden. A woman was seated at the desk; her nameplate stated she was C. Berard. She was a nice looking woman, probably in her early sixties. Her gray hair suggested that she was a woman comfortable with her age. She looked up at John, "What can I do for you?" He smiled as he recognized her voice. "Hello. I'm John Carter." She smiled, "Oh, Dr. Carter. Mr. Holden has been waiting for you to arrive." "Please call me John. I think you are the only person in the world that calls me Dr. Carter." "Yes, sir," she laughed at his pained expression and then corrected herself, "yes, John." "Before I see him, may I ask what the C stands for?" "Claudia," she replied. Despite his strange attire, she liked this man. "It is so nice to finally meet you, Ms. Berard." "Well, let me take you into his office." She stood up and walked over to a door. Knocking on it, she opened the door and announced, "Dr. Carter is here to see you." John entered the office as Mike came out from behind the desk. Mike extended his hand. John accepted the hand returning the strong handshake. "John, please take a seat." John sat down asking, "So what am I doing here?" "Claudia, can you please ask Deputy Director Olim to come here?" "Yes, sir." Claudia left the room shutting the door behind her. Mike turned his attention to John. "I have a few minutes to prepare you for this meeting. I'm retiring in a month and Deputy Director Olim is taking over my position. I wanted a chance to introduce the two of you so that you can continue the work relationship that you have with the FBI." John replied, "Congratulations. I hope that you come out to Arizona and visit us. We have a house with many spare rooms, as you well remember. My husband and wives would be happy to see you." "I will, don't worry about that." There was a knock on the door and Claudia entered, "Deputy Director Olim is here." Mike made a waving motion and she ushered in a tall man. John rose and faced him, examining his features. He could read the displeasure on his face as the man examined him. John extended a hand, "Hello. I'm John Carter." The incredulous look on the man's face suggested that he didn't quite believe him. He took the hand with a strong grasp and shook it. He asked, "Is that your normal attire and hairstyle, Special Agent Carter?" "Yes." Mike Holden pointed to a chair, "Samuel, have a seat." John returned to his chair and sat down. Samuel was a little slower in complying with Mike's request. John smiled at the other man's discomfort. Samuel asked, "May I know why you've requested me here? I must assume that it has something to do with Special Agent Carter's presence here." Mike looked at Samuel for a moment. He knew his replacement was a little more rigorous in enforcing dress codes among the agents that reported to him. "Samuel, I wanted to give you a little background on John before I retired. This young man is John Carter. I take it that his name does not invoke any recollections of who he might be?" "None. I do remember that a serial killer was picked up because of some information that originated from him." Mike laughed, "Which serial killer? The amputation murderer, the serious bandit, or the temp agency killer? He caught them all." Samuel looked at John as he remembered who John was. He asked, "You caught them all?" John answered, "Well, I had a lot of help." Mike continued, "Maybe you heard of the smuggling ring that he brought down a couple of years ago. Two of his more famous cases are the white slavery ring and operation Druid's revenge that brought down the mob." Samuel stared at John. He sat back in the chair and asked, "Anything else in your resume?" "Not really." Mike burst out laughing, "Let's see, you've saved the lives of nearly five hundred people in Austin. There was the California quake where you saved just about that many in a single day. I'm sure there are more people that you've helped that I don't even know about." John nodded, "really. I didn't know I had saved that many people. However, I thought he meant my resume with the FBI and not in general." "Oh, yes. And some of them were very important people." John corrected him, "Everyone is important, it is just a difference of what person he or she is important to." Samuel asked, "Anything else?" Mike nodded, "He's better know to the public as the man who invented the Fusion Battery." "You are that John Carter?" "Yes. I am. Of course, I was much younger then." Mike changed the topic a little, "John is not a regular agent. He's a volunteer and is not on the payroll. When he learns about something that needs to be handled, he'll step in and do his thing. When he's done, he turns the case over to a senior agent." Samuel replied, "That's highly unusual. What authority is that relationship based upon?" "Mine and mine alone." Samuel nodded as he said, "You are suggesting that I maintain that relationship." Mike answered, "Yes, I am." John interrupted the discussion. He stated, "there are some things that you might want to know before you agree to that." "What?" John reached into his robe and pulled out the medallions. He showed them to Mike and to Samuel. "As you can see, there are three medallions now. I now serve all the Gods and Goddesses. All of the Druids that possess one of these medallions now recognize me as the Grand Druid." Mike's eyebrows rose when he saw the third medallion. He asked, "Three?" Samuel snorted, "What's the medallions got to do with anything?" John dropped the medallions so that they were flat against his chest. John answered, "The medallions were given to me by the Gods and Goddesses that I serve. I know that it sounds a little incredulous, but I suggest that you examine it for a second." Samuel leaned forward and lifted the medallion. He turned it over reading the inscriptions on both sides. He shrugged, "So." John stated, "Now try to remove it from around my neck." Samuel gasped as the medallion slid out of his grasp. It was again flat against John's chest. When he tried to pick it up, he was unable. It was as though it was glued to the chest. "I can't get it." "If you try to examine it without removing it, you can grasp it. The moment you attempt to remove it, it will fall out of your hand." Samuel picked up the medallion to examine it. He was curious if some sort of mechanism made it act oddly. He didn't announce his intention to remove it, but the moment he thought about taking it off, the medallion slipped out of his fingers. He looked up stating, "that is wild." "Even I can't remove it. It is solid gold, but doesn't register on metal detectors." Samuel sat back and examined John for a minute trying to decide what he thought of the man. He asked, "So, you are the Grand Druid." "Yes, I am." Mike was curious why John had brought it up. He asked, "So why did you bring that up?" "Ah," smiled John. He turned his chair to face both men a little more directly. He answered, "That makes me, in the minds of some people, the leader of a cult. Now, this could be problematic to the FBI. In particular, I have no doubt that requests shall arise in which I am to be investigated. This will be particularly true when I start the Druid College in North Carolina in two years." Samuel sat back and shut his eyes. That would be a major problem, but one that could be worked out. Of course, much of that would depend on John agreeing to certain rules. John saw the thought process flash across Samuel's mind. He added, "Oh, it gets even worse. Many of the Druids, particularly those that serve the God, have very responsible positions in the government. In fact, my husband is as treasury agent. Other Druids are CIA agents, Air Marshals, and Postal Inspectors. We have two Forest Rangers and a number in other law enforcement agencies. Most are rather informal arrangements between them and the agency." "Your husband?" Mike answered, "Yes, he has a husband and two wives." John corrected him, "We have three wives and are looking for a third husband." "Oh, who is she?" John stated, "I don't know if you remember Ling. She's left the staff and joined the family." Samuel asked, "Mike, you knew about this group marriage thing?" Mike smiled, "Yes, I was a guest at the wedding. So was the governor of Utah, the deputy director of the DOE, a Senator, several secret service agents, and two offices of the FBI." "Jesus!" John was quiet for a moment and then stated, "I would understand if you didn't want to continue the existing relationship. However, I would like to have some sort of authorization to participate in specific investigations as a consultant. I will also make an offer that I hope you can't refuse. I will personally authorize you with the power to make searches of the Druid properties at any time you desire while I am an agent of the FBI. You will not need a search warrant to gain access to any records, location, or individual." "Are you telling me that you are waving your rights?" John corrected him, "Not my personal rights, but the rights of the Druid Organization." Samuel was suspicious as he asked, "Why would you do that?" John stated, "If the Druid Organization operates in a glass house, then there will be no questions of illegality. People may not like the basic principles on which it operates, but those principles are legal. I would rather have an FBI agent looking over my shoulder every minute than having an angry public throwing stones at me." Samuel stated, "Okay, tell me about this Druid thing? Aren't Druids a bunch of kooks that worship Stonehenge?" John looked sad, "There are a lot of people that call themselves Druids, but few have actually encountered the Gods or Goddesses. So, yes, there are bunches of kooks out there that call themselves Druids. The original sites where human and divine being could meet were destroyed by the church about eight hundred years ago. The people of the area tried to keep the traditions, but without the intervention of the Gods and Goddesses, the traditions became stale. Today, there are about three hundred true Druids around the world." John continued, "Druids are not priests or shaman. They are advisors to people in power. All of our Druids have advanced degrees. Almost ninety percent have doctorates in the sciences. We do not take sides in political arguments. However, we work to protect the weak from the strong and will place ourselves in danger if necessary." John looked over at Samuel to see his reaction. Samuel stated, "I can't see continuing with the your current status of Special Agent. Perhaps as consultant, but even that will not be acceptable in the long run." John pulled his badge from his pocket. He held it out for Samuel to take. He had turned in Rover's badge to Ann when Rover had left him. "So be it." Mike interrupted, "Gentlemen, please." John turned to Mike. "The first principle is that if it harm none, then do it. The only time I can harm anyone is if they are strong and it is to protect the weak from them. If Deputy Director Olim believes that my continuation in the current relationship will harm his career or the reputation of FBI, then for me to continue would be wrong. It is that simple." Mike stated, "I don't want it to end with any hurt feelings." John laughed, "My feelings are not hurt. I am pleased that he has chosen to tell me his concerns. I have chosen my actions fully aware of those concerns. I can render assistance to the weak and advice to leaders in other ways. The Fusion Foundation still provides me with the ability to contribute to society. With my wealth, I can make a telephone call and reach the president." Samuel looked at John with a puzzled expression. He stated, "Why would you even want to work with the FBI?" "Because there is no other way to bring down a white slavery ring or the mob without the support of the FBI." John leaned forward with a very serious expression. The intensity of his look shook Samuel. John added, "Such evil must be eradicated. No one can stand by and watch children be sold into sexual slavery. No one can stand by while criminal organizations prey upon the weaknesses of common people." The intensity and motives behind his desire lead Samuel to reconsider his decision. Samuel stated, "Keep the badge for now. I will talk with Mike." John returned his badge to his pocket. He looked at Mike and at Samuel before deciding that the interview was finished. He stood, "Gentlemen, I believe that the Washington Office of the Emergency Relief Agency is holding a small party tonight in my honor. I'm not sure who is attending, but I would like to extend an invitation to both of you." Mike smiled, "We have both been invited already. I wouldn't call it a small party by any stretch of the imagination. However, there is one more thing that I have to do before you leave." John asked, "What?" Mike opened a small box and removed a medal from it. He held it up, "John, I am proud to present to you the FBI Medal of Valor in recognition for your sacrifice in the destruction of the white slavery ring." John looked at it in awe. "I don't deserve that kind of recognition." Mike stated, "You were dead for four minutes. You do deserve this medal." Samuel hadn't realized that John had achieved that honor. He asked, "Isn't this supposed to be done in public?" Mike answered, "He doesn't like public recognition. He doesn't even like private recognition." John took the medal and stared at it. He stated, "I'm proud to accept this medal. Thank you." Mike laughed, "Now get out here. You've got a party to get ready for." John left the office. After the door shut behind him, Mike turned to Samuel and stated, "I wonder how he's going to react tonight when he receives the Congressional Medal of Valor from the President?" Samuel looked at Mike, "You don't mean he's getting that too?" "Yes." ------- Chapter 8 Robert White Feather knocked on the door at exactly seven. He carried a small bouquet of flowers to give to his hosts. He nervously rocked from side to side unsure of why he had been invited. He jumped when Sarah answered the door. She smiled at him, "Hello, cousin." "Hello, Sarah." "Come in, they are expecting you." Robert entered the house and looked around. It was just as he remembered it. Sarah led him to the formal living room in which the entire family had gathered. Ed stood up and greeted him, "Welcome, Robert." Robert nodded, "I brought some flowers for all of you." Ling came over to him and accepted the flowers, "Oh, these are lovely. They'll look great in the dining room. Excuse me for a minute while I put them in a vase." Sarah stopped Ling, "Allow me to do that for you, ma'am." Ling handed the flowers over to Sarah. She turned to Robert, "Sometimes, I forget my place. Sarah always reminds me though." Robert didn't quite know what to say. He remembered his grandmother's advice that when in doubt, a nod can mean anything. He nodded to her. Ling took his arm and led him to a chair. "Have a seat and make yourself comfortable." John asked, "So Robert, how are things at the Native American College?" Robert answered, "Things are working out real well there. My grandfather says that the number of freshman students has doubled this year." Beth asked, "Is there any indication that the students are taking the cultural aspects seriously?" Robert nodded, "Yes, there is. I have heard that several of the older medicine men of other tribes are now teaching others the older knowledge. It is a good sign, as the tribes will have a future when the old ones die." "That is good news. I'm glad that it is working out," replied John. He added, "We are doing the same thing for Druids. I hope we can get some advice from your grandfather. His experience is invaluable." Robert smiled, "He will do what you ask. He's still amazed that Sarah is attending college now and visiting the reservation to learn the old ways." Beth asked, "Are many people returning to the reservation?" "Yes. In fact, I will be going back in two months to join the tribal police as a detective." Robert grinned, "In a way I have you to thank. All of those attacks here gave me invaluable experience in assessing a crime scene." Ed looked a little disappointed, but he realized that Robert was following his desire. He asked, "Are you looking forward to returning to the reservation?" Robert nodded, "Yes, very much so. There's a young lady there that I'm interested in knowing." Kelly smiled, "That's so nice. I was wondering if you were dating anyone." Ling sat up, "Tell us all about her." Robert looked a little embarrassed, "Well, she's graduated last year with a masters in family counseling. She's coming back to help fight alcoholism and the destruction of the family unit." "Silly, I want to know the good stuff. What's her name and what does she look like?" Robert laughed, "I'm not sure I want to tell you. You'll try to bed her." John laughed, "No, we've got too many women around here as it is. Ed may be a super-stud, but I'm human." Ed laughed, "I'm not a super-stud either. We need another man or two around here." Robert asked, "Have you got any candidates in mind?" John answered, "We had one, but he's not going to work out. Seems he has other plans." "That's a shame." Ling asked, "So are you going to ask her to marry you?" Robert flushed, "I think so. She's a great woman. She's very smart and has a good heart. She really wants to help the tribe. The best part is, she's used to being around cops. You don't know how important that is in a relationship." Beth smiled, "Oh, I think we know. John and Ed occasionally go out and play FBI agent. We were there when they both got shot going after white slavers." Robert nodded, "I had forgotten that. You do tend to walk on the dangerous path at times. I recall a couple of assassination attempts." Ling stated, "The last attempt was a major disaster for them." Beth added, "That was when Rover was wounded." John was quiet as he thought back to his days with Rover. He missed all the cats, but Rover was the first one and had been around the longest. Ed noticed John's quiet mood, "John, I know you miss the cats, particularly Rover." John nodded, "Yeah, that was a great cat." Marguerite entered the room, "Ladies and Gentlemen, dinner is ready." Robert's nervousness instantly returned. He expected a fancy meal with dozens of eating utensils. He was shocked when Marguerite brought in a huge plate of fried chicken, French Fries, and corn on the cob. By each plate was a stack of small towels for wiping the hands. As Robert immediately relaxed, John asked, "I hope you don't mind all the finger foods. We enjoy being casual as much as the next person." Robert made a gesture of holding his hands out to the side, "To tell the truth, I was terrified that I was going to have to figure out all of the silverware." Ed laughed, "This old cowboy hasn't figured all that silverware out yet." Kelly hit Ed in the side with her elbow, "This nurse knows how to use all the silverware, but still prefers to eat in a much more causal atmosphere." John laughed, "I'm still used to eating out of a camp cook set." Beth stated, "I like eating formally on occasion." Robert accepted the plate of chicken from Ling who was sitting on his left. He put a breast on his plate and passed the plate on to Kelly. Ling looked at his plate and joked, "Ah, I see you are a breast man and here I thought you were a leg man." Robert looked confused for a minute and then realized she was teasing him. He decided two could play that game, "Breasts are to be enjoyed to the fullest, you just look at legs." Kelly laughed, "I like the way you think." After everyone's plates were filled with food, Ed stated, "Dig in everyone." The group started eating with great appetite. John was feeding Ling and Beth with French Fries. Occasionally, he teased them by moving the fry away from the mouth as they leaned in to bite it. Ling burst out laughing when she almost fell out of the chair chasing a fry. Robert watched the antics and grinned in amusement. He laughed aloud when he watched Ed and Beth try to eat the same ear of corn at the same time. Kelly offered him a fry, but when he went after it she moved it out of the way and popped it into her mouth. She smiled at him, "You've got to be fast around here." Robert retorted, "A teenage dream of mine has just come true, I'm sitting at a table full of fast women." Kelly giggled, "Just for that, I'm going to run as hard as I can when you start to chase me." Robert laughed, "I think my girlfriend will hunt me down if I chase you." Beth asked, "So what kind of marriage do want?" Robert looked around the table and answered honestly, "I want a conventional marriage. I don't think I would be happy in the kind of marriage that you have." Ed asked, "Really?" "Yes, really. I don't mean to offend you, but in a way I feel like none of you have actually made the deep kind of commitment to each other that is in a conventional marriage." John laughed, "We aren't offended. You are telling us your thoughts on the matter. We agree with you to a certain extent. Our kind of marriage is not for everyone, but it works for us. We do have a deep commitment to each other, but that is very easy for someone to miss." Robert was surprised by John's statement. He asked, "You don't think everyone should live in a group marriage like this." "Heaven's sakes no. We know many people that would die and whither in this kind of marriage. No, we think it is up to each person to decide what kind of marriage suits them best. When they find another that they love, they should be honest and discuss their marriage." John was quite passionate about that. He added, "People's needs change over time and they should talk about their marriage frequently. If what they are doing isn't working for them, they should feel free to change it." Robert was taken aback by the passion, "You take a rather pragmatic view of this subject. So how would you counsel me on marriage?" Beth stated, "First, it is necessary to learn what you expect from it. Do you expect to be the primary wage earner? Do you expect both of you to work? What will you expect when she gets pregnant? There are so many questions that you have to answer. No one else has the answers for you." Remembering how upset she had been about the business-like fashion John and Ed had talked about marriage, Kelly preferred to consider the more personal areas. She picked up, "Then before you propose, you need to talk to her about what she expects from the marriage. You also have to tell her what you expect. The important point is that you each have to listen to each other." Ed stated, "There is a danger to this. You could easily learn that the two of you have very different ideas of what you want to get out of the marriage. If you get married, one of you will be unhappy. A marriage won't last long if that is the case." John nodded, "However, more often than not you will find that you want the same things out of a marriage. Then it is time to propose." Ling added, "Of course, you'll always have to talk about the marriage. Are you each getting out of the marriage the things you need? If not, what changes can you make in the marriage to improve the situation?" Robert listened carefully. He had never had anyone present the process of getting married in this fashion. He realized that most people rushed into marriage making all kinds of assumptions. He wasn't surprised by the kinds of marriage problems that occurred. As a cop, there was nothing worse than approaching a domestic disturbance. He had often wondered how such people ended up marrying. He put forth his thoughts, "I've often had to respond to domestic disturbances. Why do you think they are so common?" Beth stated, "I think it is because they came into the marriage with unrealistic expectations. When those expectations fail to materialize, then they grow to hate each other. It is disappointment." "I think you are right." Robert looked down at his plate, surprised to find that it was empty. He hardly remembered eating although he did remember loading up his plate with seconds. He stated in a voice full of wonder, "Wow, that was a great meal." "Thank you," replied Marguerite. She was filling the table with plates of cupcakes and sliced fruits. All of men reached for the cupcakes at the same time. At the same time, the women reached for the fruits. Everyone realized what happened at the same time and burst out laughing. Marguerite laughed, "All of you are so predictable. This job has lost all of its challenge." John snickered, "Let's see you make a better soup than that canned stuff we all like so much." Marguerite snorted, "You... you... You drive me crazy!" Beth smiled at Marguerite, "Just ignore that culinary infidel." Robert sat back watching the exchange while eating his cupcake. The dessert was delicious. As he watched the interplay among members of the family, it was clear that they really did form a cohesive whole. There was a subtle imbalance that he couldn't place, but the harmony in the room went far beyond anything he had ever seen. John asked, "So, Robert, tell me your impressions of our little family." "Well, you get along better than any five people I've ever met. You have fun together and really know how to communicate with each other." Ed noted there was a little something he was holding back. He asked, "And the negative?" "There is a very slight imbalance here." John stated, "You are as perceptive as always. We are looking for the right person to bring things back into balance." "So do you have any candidates?" Ed looked around the table, "Not at the moment." Marguerite came out of the kitchen with Greek Coffee. She filled the little cups distributed around the table. John watched her work, she poured each cup carefully making sure that everyone got liquid and not just grinds. John appreciated the aroma of the coffee. She quietly left the room after filling the last cup. John asked, "Tell me about your sister." "Why?" "She confuses me." Robert laughed, "She has recently confused lots of people with her insistence on being 'given' to you." Ed nodded, "You have no idea what is motivating this?" Robert shook his head, "I haven't really talked to her about it. She has never dated in the past. As far as I know, this is her first time to even express an interest in a man." Kelly stated, "She's acting like a school girl that has her first crush on someone. She is setting things up so that the person can't say no to her." "You could be right." John asked, "What does the tribe really think about it?' Robert looked away for a minute, "Some are for it and others aren't. It has been a source of much discussion within the tribe." John nodded, "I value my relationship with the tribe and would hate for something like this to become a problem. Is it possible for me to talk to the tribal elders about this before your sister comes here?" Robert was amazed that John would think of talking to the tribal elders before acting. He demonstrated the kind of wisdom that would make many consider him for position of responsibility within the tribe. He smiled, "The tribal elders gather every Wednesday night." John stated, "Thank you. I will keep that in mind." Robert looked at his watch, "I'm sorry, but it is getting late and I should head home." Beth walked Robert to the door and gave him a friendly kiss goodnight. She watched as Robert drove off. She returned to the dining room and sat down in her chair. She looked around the table, "Well, scratch him off the list." Ed nodded, "Yes. I'm sorry I brought it up." John shook his head in disagreement. He stated, "You never know until you ask. It is rather presumptuous to think that anyone that we happen to ask will immediately say yes." Kelly nodded, "I guess." John added, "Let's not worry about it for now." Kelly and Beth stood up and held hands. Kelly smiled as she thought about what she was going to do with Beth. She teased, "Well, we are heading off to bed." The three watched the two women walk off. Ling stated, "I would like a sandwich." John looked surprised, "We just ate." "I was thinking of an Ed sandwich," giggled Ling. She added, "Me on the bottom and John on top." John smiled, "That does sound like fun." Ed liked the idea, but he couldn't really admit it. He mock groaned, "Oh my poor ass!" John stood up laughing, "Better your ass than mine." Ling jumped up, grabbed John and Ed by the hands to lead them to the back of the house. She would have run if the men had hurried; as it was she literally pulled them. John expected her to head to her room, but she stopped in front of Ed's room. He asked, "Why Ed's room?" She turned, "He has a king-size bed!" Ed let them in and they made their way through the living room. The living room was filled with the furniture from Ed's old house. They made their way into his bedroom. Ed's bedroom was simply furnished with a plain king-size bed and a four-drawer dresser. He did have track lighting around the room with the lights aimed at the wall. It gave the room a bright appearance without being overwhelming. On reaching the bed, Ling turned around and started to remove her clothes. She stomped her foot when she saw that John and Ed were watching her with amused expressions on their faces. "Strip now. I'm horny." Ed went to the dresser and removed a large tube of lube. He set it on the edge of the bed and then proceeded to slowly strip. He had removed his shoes and shirt by the time that Ling was completely naked. John was already naked since his robe was easy to remove. Ed smiled at his two naked lovers, "You guys in a hurry or something." Ling knelt down and undid the belt and button on the jeans. She pulled them down to his feet in one swift move. She replied, "I'm in a hurry." John laughed, "I'm in a something." Ling reached up and pulled Ed's boxers down to the floor. She leaned forward and took his cock into her mouth. Her administrations quickly got a rise out his cock. She turned to John and repeated her treatment on his cock. She worked her tongue around the sensitive head of his cock. Her hand was rubbing Ed's cock to keep it excited. When she released John's cock from her mouth, John bent down and picked her up. She squealed as he carried her to the bed and set her down in the middle of the bed. John and Ed climbed into the bed on each side of her. Both men bent down at the same time to suck on her sensitive nipples. As John slid a hand down to rub her cunt, he met Ed's hand making the same journey. They moved their hands down to frame her pussy, neither one actually touching it. Together they rubbed along the sides of her outer lips. She tried to rock her hips so that one hand or the other would rub her directly. The indirect rubbing was exciting her tremendously. Her cunt started leaking her juices and both men were tempted to move down to munch on her cunt. They restrained themselves as they were going after the slow burn that would lead to the bigger orgasm. When she was very close, they both stopped. John moved to the end of the bed and picked up the lube. He watched as Ed slowly entered Ling. Her spread legs were already shaking from the excitement. John lubed his cock with copious amounts of lube. Even as Ed was entering Ling, John pushed his cock against Ed's asshole. It slowly entered as Ed relaxed his rectal muscles. It took the three of them a little time to find a good rhythm, but once they found it they moved together in perfect harmony. Ed was buried deeply into Ling. As John thrust into Ed, Ed was forced deeper into Ling. Ling screamed as wave after wave of orgasms washed over her. Ed grunted each time that his ass was drilled; his cock was massaged by the contractions of her cunt. John speeded up his thrusts into Ed. Ed moved in time, drilling Ling harder and faster. Ling screamed non-stop as her orgasms increased in intensity. Finally, her cunt clamped down on Ed's cock. His orgasm took him by surprise as he shot his cum into her. The contractions in his ass triggered John's orgasm. He filled Ed's ass with his cum groaning at the sudden tightness. John continued to make little thrusts as he emptied his balls into Ed. The motion rocked Ed in Ling, giving her one last explosive orgasm. She screamed at the top of her lungs and then fell back to the bed. John slowly worked his way out of Ed. When his cock fell out, a large gob of cum followed it. John fell to the side. Ed slowly pulled out of Ling. An amazing amount of her juices mixed with his cum flowed out of her. Ed fell to the other side of Ling. John looked down at the mess oozing out of Ling and smiled, "Should I?" Ed laughed, "I'd like to know if you can give her another orgasm while she's unconscious." John moved down between Ling's legs and started sucking the juices from her cunt. Her body started to thrash about as his tongue delved deep inside her. He lapped at her cunt, occasionally brushing against her clit. Finally, he sucked in her clit with the effect of triggering another orgasm. He smiled up at Ed. "I did it." Ed laughed, "Next time, it's your turn to be in the center and I'll clean her out." John got up and went into the bathroom to wash. Ed joined him in the bathroom. Adjusting the shower the two men got in and helped clean each other off. Neither man was ready for another round of sex, but the company was a nice end to the earlier activities. They returned to the room and lay on each side of Ling. They gently stroked her body, but to no effect. She was out for the night. John stayed for a while, but left when Ed started to drift off to sleep. He stood at the door to the bedroom looking at the two of them lying there. Ling had turned to her side and Ed was spooning her. John smiled as he thought about what they would do when they woke in the morning. He gathered his clothes and then slipped out of Ed's room. He was getting ready to head to his room when Kelly stuck her head out the door. She called to him, "What did you guys do to her? She hasn't screamed like that since the first time you slept with her." John laughed, "Wouldn't you like to know!" Kelly laughed, "Why aren't you doing that to Beth and me? Huh?" John answered, "When I do, you start making little animal noises. Beth makes little panting sounds. Ling screams." Kelly made a little animal noise and disappeared into her room. He could hear Beth giggling inside as the door shut. He considered knocking and seeing if he could get in the fun, but realized that he didn't have enough left in him to satisfy two women. Tired, but not sleepy he went into his lab to work on his fusion cell. He had everything worked out except for the thermal control that would keep it from getting too hot. He realized that he needed a fusion governor that would decrease heat production when the device got too warm and increase heat production when it got too cold. He realized that what he needed was a thermostat. He went to his jewelers lathe and started to make a series of supports that would have a very different coefficient of expansion from the rest of the fusion well. He worked on them for two hours before getting them exactly right. He assembled the device and attached the thermocouples to a point closest to the fusion well. Tightening the screws into the supports, he increased the pressure until the reaction was generating heat. The amount of oil was miniscule, but it generated enough energy to raise the well about ten degrees hotter than the rest of the device. He measured the voltage output, pleased to see that it was a little over 1.5 Volts. He added a diode and the voltage was now exactly 1.5 Volts. He attached additional thermocouples to the device to monitor changes in temperature. When the temperature in the supports got too high, the supports expanded releasing pressure in the fusion well. The temperature would start to drop, but the supports contracted increasing the pressure and starting the reaction again. The assembly as a whole did not heat up much. He sat back pleased with himself. He had cracked a problem that many others had attempted. He went to the computer and started typing up the patent application. His fusion cell was the same size as an AAA battery and had similar electronic characteristics. Now all of the portable electronic devices on the market could have fusion batteries that could last for a year of constant use. When he had finished, he called up Jim at his house. A very sleepy Sherry answered the telephone. He asked for Jim and an equally sleepy Jim answered the telephone. John stated, "Hey, Jim. Wake up. I've got some news for you." Jim, on hearing the phrase that often preceded intense excitement, immediately woke. He asked, "What's up?" John stated, "I've finished the Fusion Cell. I've got the Patent Application typed up. Can you come over in the morning and pick it up?" Jim was quiet for a moment as he worked out how much he could get for the patent rights. This was just as big as the fusion battery. There were now fusion batteries of all sizes, but they all still derived from John's original patent. If this was a different patent, then all existing batteries had just become obsolete. He stated, "Let me get dressed, I'll be right over." "I'll be waiting." After Jim hung up, John turned to his fusion cell. He slipped a small cardboard sleeve over it. He soldered the two leads from the thermocouple to two metal end caps and slipped the caps over the cardboard. He now held an AAA battery in his hand. His last step was to cut a hole in the cardboard to allow air to circulate around the cell. He slipped that into a penlight and turned it on. A bright beam emerged from the penlight. Carrying the penlight and the Patent Application with him, he went down to the front door to wait for Jim. He didn't have to wait long before Jim's car pulled up in the driveway. At the last minute, he remembered to shut off the alarm system so that Jim's arrival didn't wake the entire house. Jim and Sherry came bounding up the steps as John opened the door. It wasn't until he ushered them into the house that he realized he was still naked. Her hand immediately flew to his cock with predictable results for the next hour. ------- Chapter 9 Ling lounged on the sofa in the informal living room using the remote control for the television to flip through channels. John watched, but she flipped so fast that he couldn't even tell what was on any individual channel. She'd pause occasionally to watch five seconds of some channel and then return to flipping at her original pace. Since John and Ed weren't particularly interested in the television, they weren't bothered by her actions. John got up and went to the mini-refrigerator to refill his iced-tea. Ed watched him for a minute. He noticed the small mannerisms that suggested John was bothered by something, but that he was trying to hide it. Ed finally asked, "What's the matter?" John turned to Ed; about to answer that nothing was the matter when he saw that Ed would persist. He frowned, "I don't like that Beth went to Los Angeles for that medical conference." Ed examined John carefully, "Why?" John shook his head, "I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen there." "So let's go there and join her," suggested Ling as she settled on a television station at last. She turned her attention to John for the moment. John walked to the intercom and pressed the button connecting him to Cathy's office. When Cathy answered he stated, "Cathy, arrange a jet to take us to LA." Cathy acknowledged the request. John turned to face the others in the room. He asked, "Who wants to go?" Ling answered, "I'll go. Ed should stay here so that someone will be home when Kelly gets off work." Ed argued, "Hold it, I'll watch his back for him." Ling asked, "Who has the black belt? Whose job has been bodyguard? I should be the one that goes." The two of them started to debate which one would be the better one to go. John had a sudden vision of the Gods and Goddesses looking at him with sadness in their eyes. As he realized the message they were conveying to him, John dropped to his knees screaming, "No!" Both of the shut up immediately and looked to John. They didn't know if he was upset with them for their debate or if something else was the matter. John stated, "It's not fair. She was going to be a mother!" Ed and Ling quickly moved to John's side. They helped him to the couch. Ed asked, "John, what happened?" "She's dead. Beth is dead." John replied. Knowing that she was in a better place, the shock of the news quickly passed. Now he had to deal with the fact that he would never get a chance to talk to her again. He knew there would come times when he would experience something only to think to himself that she would love to hear about it. Ed raced over to the intercom and buzzed the garage. Bob responded with a quick greeting. Ed got straight to the point. "Bob, get one of the cars and go to the hospital. We need you to pick up Kelly and drive her home. Just tell her that her presence at the house is needed." Ed returned to sit by Ling. John's message began to sink in. Beth was dead. He would no longer be able to share his life with her. Suddenly, a huge hole opened in his heart. He looked up to see the tears streaming down Ling's face and knew he was not alone in this. Official notification that Beth had been killed in Los Angeles came before Kelly returned home. Ed and Ling had gotten themselves under a little better control, but Kelly could tell as soon as she entered the house that something was wrong. She moved to the informal living room as a sense of dread settled upon her. She froze when she saw the looks on the faces of her husbands and wife. She asked, "What is it?" The three of them got off the couch and move to Kelly. John and Ed put an arm around her as Ling moved in to hug her. John stated, "I'm sorry Kelly. Beth was killed in LA about an hour ago." Kelly's legs collapsed out from under her. The two men carried her over to the couch and set her down. They joined her on the couch as Ling sat on the coffee table facing Kelly. Ling looked at John accusingly, "How can you accept this so calmly?" John sighed, "It is simple, I have died and know that it is not a bad thing. I am sad because I will not get to share my love with her and she with me." Ling and Kelly looked at each other realizing that John had stated exactly how they were feeling. They were feeling the loss for themselves and less about what Beth's death would mean to her. Kelly replied, "I feel so guilty because I'm thinking about myself." John stated, "Don't feel that way. She is fine now. We are the ones left behind to continue without them. It is natural that we think of our loss." Cathy came into the room, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Beth's father is on the telephone and he wants to talk to you." John turned on the speakerphone. "Hello, Dr. Hayes. You're on the speakerphone here and the whole family is gathered." "I'm so sorry. We were at lunch and a car lost control. I couldn't do anything," he said. His voice broke as the sound of him crying came across the telephone. He sobbed, "Oh, God, I'm so sorry." John stated, "We understand there was nothing you could do. You've done nothing that requires an apology. Where are you?" "I'm in the hospital in LA." "Are you alright?" John looked over at Ed. Ed understood what John intended him to do. Ed stood and went to the door. "I've got a broken leg and a fractured disk." John asked, "Where's Mrs. Hayes?" "She's at home. I called her and let her know." Ed nodded and went to find Cathy. John stated, "Ed is arranging for a charter jet to be sent to the airport to pick her up. We'll be flying in as well." Dr. Hayes sobbed, "I'm so sorry. I couldn't do a thing for her. The car came out of nowhere and that was it." Kelly stated, "You know that you should just rest right now, Dr. Hayes. You'll be able to deal with things better after you've rested." John added, "We will be there soon. Get some rest." The conversation continued for another several minutes. Most of it was Dr. Hayes apologizing for his daughters death. He felt guilty because he lived rather than her. The father had watched the daughter die. The Carter Clan arrived at the airport within an hour of the official telephone call. They waited to take off until they were sure that Beth's mother had boarded the jet they had arranged for her. They left in time to land within ten minutes of her arrival in LA. They made excellent time and the trip itself was uneventful. At the LA airport, they waited for Mrs. Hayes to land. The four were very tense, as they had no idea of what state of mind she would be in when she landed. Ed stated that she was very upset on the telephone when he talked to her. When the jet taxied to the hanger, the four went out to greet her. The door of the jet opened and after a minute, she stepped out. She smiled at them, "I could get used to traveling like that!" The ground crew swarmed around the jet removing her luggage and taking it to the limousine that waited for them. John laughed in relief that she wasn't upset. He stated, "Yes, ma'am. It's very easy to get used to flying all by yourself in a charter jet." He helped her off the last step of the stairs down from the jet. As they walked, John told her, "We've reserved the penthouse suite of a hotel that is one block away from the hospital your husband is a patient. We want you to stay with us." Beth's mother looked surprised, "You are too kind." Ling looked at her, "Beth was our wife and that makes you family." Kelly continued, "There is nothing more important than taking care of family. You will never need worry as long as any of us are alive." Ed stated, "As soon as your husband is able to travel, we will transport him to our place. We have a doctor lined up and the best facilities in the entire state." John added, "We can build a separate house for you if you don't feel comfortable in our home. Perhaps you and Dr. Hayes might want to retire there." Beth's mother cried, "Beth loved you all so much and I know why. You really do take care of each other and those around you." They got into the limousine. The drive to the hotel was filled with conversation and talk of future possibilities. Once there, John picked up the keys to the penthouse suite. They were immediately shown to their suite with the luggage being brought up by the bellhop in a separate elevator. The penthouse was huge, with four bedrooms, large living room, spa, dining room, an office, and a built-in bar. John stated, "Okay, everyone. Pick a room. I'm claiming the office." Beth's mother looked shocked, "That's okay, I'll sleep on the couch." Kelly laughed, "Putting John in a bedroom is a waste of a bed. He sleeps on his sleeping bag. The office is perfect for him." Ling added, "The only time he sleeps in a bed is when he's sleeping with someone. More often than not, he still ends up on the floor." Mrs. Hayes turned to John, "Do you mean you can afford all of this, but you sleep on floor?" "Yes, ma'am." She went into a room shaking her head in wonder. The more she learned about these people, the more she was amazed. They could walk into a suite like this and keep their heads. They continued to be themselves regardless of the situation. Her walk around the bedroom was interrupted by the bellhop bringing her luggage. She looked for some money to give him, but he told her that it had all been taken care of already. John stood at the door and stated, "You might want to take about fifteen minutes to freshen up. We'll go over to the hospital when everyone is ready." She answered, "Okay." The telephone to the room rang. John answered it while everyone else was freshening up. The front desk told him that a Juan Ortiz was there to speak with him. Before John had a chance to respond the woman added that he claimed to have been a member of the John Carter Rescue Squad. John told her to send him up. John opened the door and waved Juan into the room. Juan was dressed in a suit and tie. He looked very sharp. As Juan approached the room, John stated, "Juan, it is so good to see you." Juan smiled broadly, "John Carter, you look magnificent." John asked, "What are you doing here?" Juan answered, "When I heard about Beth's accident, I knew that you would be coming to town. I had to come and give my condolences." John returned a thankful smile and said, "Thank you, Juan. I appreciate it. Now tell, what's going on with you? You really look great." Juan beamed as he answered, "After that day, I took a really good look at my life. When I looked into going into a medical related field, I found that my criminal record was a major problem. To make a long story short, I ended going to school and majoring in journalism. I now own a small English/Spanish newspaper. I run lots of articles on helping yourself to get out of poverty." Beth's mother came out of the room. Juan saw her and approached her. He said, "Senora, you must be Beth's mother." Mrs. Hayes looked at him in surprise as she replied, "Yes, I am." Juan smiled. He said, "I'm Juan Ortiz. Your daughter was an angel. I only knew her one day and she changed my life completely. I am so sorry to hear about her death. If there is anything that I can do for you, please let me know." "Oh, thank you." John called out, "Ed! Kelly! Come here, you'll never guess who's here." Ed came out of his room and looked Juan. He shook hands with Juan, stating, "Juan, how are you doing?" Kelly entered the room and rushed over to Juan giving him a hug. "Oh, Juan. You look so sharp." Juan burst out in a smile. He was amazed that these wonderful people remembered him from one day that had happened years ago. Juan answered them, "I am doing well. I'm so sad to see you again under these circumstances." Kelly hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much." Juan blushed. "So, I have come from the hospital. Dr. Hayes is doing well. The staff told me that doctors make the worst patients and he's no exception." Mrs. Hayes laughed on hearing that assessment. She knew that things were going to be okay. Juan fidgeted for a moment and then pulled an envelope out of his suit pocket. He handed it to Mrs. Hayes stating, "I have written an obituary for Beth. I would like your permission to print it in my newspaper. I've made a deal with the larger newspapers to run it also, if you approve." Mrs. Hayes sat down on a couch and read the contents of the envelope. As she read, tears started to stream down her cheeks. When she finished reading it, she looked up at Juan. With a catch in her throat, she stated, "It's so beautiful. You have my permission. You are a very talented and kind young man." Juan frowned as he replied, "I do my best. It is hard to do less than that once your life has been touched by an angel." John put an arm around Juan. "Juan, it is so great to see you. I hope that you will join us for dinner tonight." Juan shook his head, "John, I won't join you for dinner tonight. You have traveled far today and will be tired. I don't want to intrude. I just wanted a chance to welcome you back to Los Angeles." Ed stated, "Your consideration is really appreciated, but you wouldn't be intruding." The telephone rang again. John answered it while Juan said his good-byes to everyone. The woman at the front desk explained that there was a Mrs. Dawn Ericson wanting to talk to Ed or Kelly. Before John had a chance to answer, she added that they had rescued her from a life of slavery. John looked over at Ed and Kelly before telling the woman to send her up. John turned back to everyone in time to tell Juan goodbye. After Juan left, he told Ed and Kelly that a Mrs. Dawn Ericson was on her way up to say hello to them. At their blank looks, he added that they had rescued her from slavery. It took them a minute to remember that she had been one of the adult women that had been rescued. John opened the door and waited for the elevator to arrive. When it did, a very attractive woman stepped out. She saw John waving her over and headed in his direction. He stated, "Hello, I'm John Carter. You must be Mrs. Dawn Ericson." She smiled at him, "It's an honor to finally meet you, John. They told me that you were the one that single-handedly brought down the whole gang. I didn't get a chance to meet you that day." John made his usual self-depreciating gesture. "There were a lot of people involved. I was just one of many." "Well, thank you anyway." "Come in. Kelly and Ed are waiting for you." Dawn stepped into the room and spotted Kelly first. She ran to her and hugged her tightly. "Oh, it's so good to see you." She turned and saw Ed. She ran to him saying, "Ed, you are still as handsome as ever." Kelly smiled and stated, "Keep saying things like that to him and he's liable to believe you." Dawn stepped away. "I'm so sorry about Beth. When I heard, I knew you would be coming here. I called every hotel looking for you. I just had to give you my condolences." Mrs. Hayes asked, "How did you know my daughter?" Dawn answered, "Several years ago I was abducted. They were going to turn me into a sex slave and sell me to some sick pervert. When I was rescued, Ed came into the room and untied all of us. Kelly came in and checked us out to make sure that we were uninjured. Beth was working feverishly to tend to the wounded. She was amazing and I'll never forget any of them for their heroic action." "I never knew that." Ed stated, "John was seriously wounded in that raid. Beth had him stabilized, but she couldn't do much in the middle of nowhere. John died in the hospital. He was dead for four minutes before he came back to life." Kelly added, "Ed was shot in the leg, Beth patched it up very nicely." "I didn't know he had died saving us," Dawn said with a surprised expression. She looked at John. "You really are some kind of hero." Nobody had noticed that Ling had been standing there hearing all of this. She knew that they had done some dangerous things, but they very seldom talked about it. She had always been bothered by their scars. To her, there was something scary and dangerous about people with scars. She realized that each of them had faced death several times while she had always been protected from it. In a way, it made her feel insignificant to them all. Dawn noticed Ling for the first time. She turned to her and said, "Hello, I'm Dawn." John stated, "Please excuse my manners. Dawn, this is our newest wife Ling. Ling, this is Dawn. I guess you heard her story already." Dawn smiled at Ling. She stated, "You are one lucky woman to get these three. I'm so sorry about your loss." Ling answered, "I know I'm the luckiest woman in the world." Dawn turned around. She said, "Well, I had better get going. Please, call me if you need anything. I'm a great baby-sitter if you need one." John laughed and replied, "Thank you very much for your offer. Take care of yourself." Dawn breezed out of the room and to the elevator. John closed the door after her and turned to his family. He suggested, "We had better get out of here now, before someone else shows up." The whole group nodded their agreement. In just a couple of minutes they had gathered their gear and left the penthouse. The elevator took another minute to arrive. While they were waiting, John stated, "It's hard to maintain a low profile around here, isn't it?" The elevator arrived and they got on it. As everyone got in, they went into elevator mode where each person looked in a different direction, Ed looked around with a mischievous grin. He fondled Ling on the bottom. She spun around and was about to call him a pervert when she realized who had done it. Kelly had noticed the action and burst out laughing. She stated, "You should know better than to get on an elevator with strange men, Ling." Ling giggled, "I had no choice. They followed me on." Mrs. Hayes was laughing at the childish behavior. It was hard to believe at times that they had been together as long as they had. They kept making her think they were newlyweds with their frequent teasing and touching. She wondered what had happened in her marriage that they had forgotten how to do that. When the elevator reached the lobby, the group exited. They were met by the manager, "Excuse me, John Carter. I didn't realize who you were. Is there anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable?" John smiled, "Well, you can make sure that there is always a pitcher of iced tea ready for us. We go through a lot of that." The manager was surprised by the simple request. He had expected John to ask for exercise equipment or some other major thing. He smoothly answered, "Of course. I'll see that is taken care of right now. Can I do anything else for you?" John looked around at the others. They all shrugged their shoulders. He turned back to the manager and answered, "I guess not." "Excellent sir." For a very wealthy group, they made very little demand on the staff of the hotel. The group moved to the lobby doors. The limousine was waiting for them. They climbed into it and watched the scenery as it drove the one block to the hospital. Their arrival brought more attention. One of the doctors came out and met them as they entered the hospital. He stated, "I'm Dr. Edwards. I was on staff the day of the earthquake. I never got a chance to thank you and your group for the terrific assistance that you provided that day. Dr. Beth Hayes literally saved at least fifty lives that day with her excellent medical skills and prioritizing the patients for arrival here. I'm so sorry to hear about her death." John pushed Ling up to the front to deal with the doctor. Ling glanced at the others and stated, "Thank you very much for your praise of Beth and for your condolences. I fear we are here to see Dr. Hayes, the elder." Dr. Edwards grimaced, "Oh, he's doing fine." Mrs. Hayes spoke up for the first time, "As his wife, I have a suggestion. You might have a couple of the staff talk about Beth in front of him. Let him know what she did and how she would have acted as a patient. I'm sure that he'll do his best to set a good example." Dr. Edwards looked at her out of the corner of his eye with a smile, "May I ask why you recommend this particular action?" "He's my patient when he gets out of here. I want him used to being good before I get him." She was used to dealing with her husband when he was sick. It was not fun. Dr. Edwards laughed aloud. "I'd tell my wife this story, but I'm afraid she'll use it on me next time I'm sick." The whole group laughed and headed towards the room where Dr. Hayes was a patient. As they neared the room, they could hear the buzzer at the nurses station. Kelly rolled her eyes. She said, "What do you want to bet that it is coming from his room? Doctors learn how to use that buzzer so fast, it makes the head spin." John stopped Ling for a minute and whispered something in her ear. She smiled and walked over to the nurses station. She was going to arrange for some back up for them, but she needed some information first and the nurses would be able to provide it. She stayed there while the rest of the group went into Dr. Hayes' room. Dr. Hayes was ready to explode at the nurse until he realized that it was the Carter Clan and his wife. Kelly walked directly to him and took his pulse. She looked at him, "You look like shit. You aren't getting enough sleep. Didn't I tell you to get some rest?" He looked at her in shock. Ed laughed as he said, "Oh no! It's the dreaded Nurse Kelly. Watch out Dr. Hayes." Dr. Hayes stuttered, "I can't sleep in this room." "Bullshit. You can't sleep because you're too busy acting like an ass. Leave those nurses alone and let them do their jobs." "I can't believe that my daughter was married to you. You're mean." Kelly laughed aloud. "I was the one with the nice bedside manner. She'd have ordered a couple of dozen blood tests a day for a patient that acted like you." Mrs. Hayes giggled. Dr. Hayes noticed, "Come on, dear. Are you going to let her talk to me like that?" "You bet. We heard about what a sweet and wonderful patient you were before we even got in the hospital." Dr. Hayes snorted, "Oh come on!" Ed stated, "It's true." Dr. Hayes looked at Ed and remembered the time he had challenged Ed's truth sense. He quieted down very quickly. Ling entered the room with a smile. "Everything is arranged." John nodded. "Good. When will the nurse get here?" Ling smiled as she said, "She's already here." A very large woman entered the room behind Ling and looked around. To say that she was physically ugly would be an understatement. She was at least three hundred and twenty pounds with a mole on her face with hair growing out of it. She looked over at Dr. Hayes and snorted, "This is the patient?" Ling stated, "yes, it is, Nurse Emma." Nurse Emma patted her new patient on the cheek. Her smile scared him. He knew this kind of nurse, usually using one for his more obnoxious patients. His terror increased when she stated, "We'll get along perfectly, won't we?" Kelly said, "If you're real good, maybe we'll find someone nice who'll give you your sponge baths." Kelly grabbed Mrs. Hayes by the arm and led her out of the room. John watched her leave, realizing that Kelly was about to give her a lesson in bathing a man in the hospital. Dr. Hayes was about to learn something about healthcare that he probably didn't know existed. After staying with Dr. Hayes for several hours, the group decided it was time to leave. As John headed towards the door, Ling asked, "Do you mind if I stay here for a little while?" John looked at Ling curiously for a minute. He smiled, "Go ahead. We'll send the limousine back for you." Ling winked, "Great. I'll be there in about thirty minutes." ------- Chapter 10 The funeral had been a very private affair. It had been held in a small chapel in the Arizona town they called home. The body had been laid to rest in a small corner of the local graveyard. Beth's mother and the Carter Clan were the only ones in attendance. The rest of the town respected their wishes and did not attend. The public memorial service would be held when her father left the hospital. The entire town would be invited as well as her colleagues from the hospital. In the mean time, Ling, Ed, and Mrs. Hayes had returned to California to take care of Dr. Hayes. Beth had returned to work, but her heart wasn't in it. John took care of the family business and continued to pursue the establishment of the Druid College. He was sitting at the desk in the office upstairs from his bedroom. The desk was neat with little stacks of papers in neatly arranged bins. He pulled down one stack of papers from one bin and went through the papers one at a time. They listed the candidates for faculty search. He had reduced the number of candidates down to three. It was about time to interview them and measure their interest. He was about to pick up the telephone when the intercom rang. He answered the intercom. Cathy stated, "John, Maria was just on the phone and was asking about rescheduling her visit." John asked, "What visit?" Cathy replied, "Your stud duties to the women that have deep and endearing crushes on you." John laughed and said, "Oh, that visit. Check with Kelly and see if she is up to it." "Okay, I'll do that," replied Cathy and then she disconnected. John made his telephone calls, contacting the candidates. All of them were surprised at having been contacted. One refused outright. The other two were intrigued by the idea. One was from the Virginia Military Institute and the other was from MIT. He was going to meet with them in a month. He replaced the papers in their appropriate slot. He went to the next slot and examined the papers within it. These dealt with the revenues from his fusion cell. He examined the papers dealing with handing the money over to the Fusion Foundation. He was about to sign the form that would turn over all of the money and sat back wondering if he was doing the right thing. He picked up the telephone and contacted Jim. When Jim answered, John stated, "Jim, I would like to change the terms on the fusion cell moneys. Let's make it 65% to the Fusion Foundation, 10% to the Native American College, and 25% to the Druid College." Jim thought about it. He said, "That will dilute your influence over the Druid College." John replied, "No. I'm the Grand Druid. That is sufficient influence." Jim replied, "Okay, I'll put the paperwork together and get it to you tomorrow." John answered, "Thanks. By the way, is there any chance of you and Sherry coming over for a weekend?" Jim answered, "We're waiting for Ed to get back. Sherry has decided that it is time for her and Ed to have a little horizontal negotiations." John laughed and asked "Is that your description or hers?" Jim laughed while he answered, "She said that it was time for her to jump his bones." John said, "That sounds more like Sherry." Jim got serious for a second. "I don't think she trusts that the changes are permanent yet. She won't believe it until she sees him working to make sure that she is totally satisfied." John replied, "That's okay. I don't think Ed has forgiven himself yet. This might be the opportunity for long-term peace to be established." Jim seriously suggested, "I hope so." After exchanging appropriate good-byes, they hung up. John replaced the stack of papers into the appropriate bin. He went to the next bin and pulled out the stack of papers within it. These dealt with his quarterly tax filing. He looked at the bottom and saw how much he had to pay. He checked the form carefully, but realized that he didn't know enough to critique the information on the form. He picked up the telephone and called the local tax office. He made arrangements for an IRS agent to come over and double check the return as though it were an audit. The stack of papers went back into the bin. He sat back knowing that his paperwork morning had ended. He hated this, but until he could hand some of this work to an appropriate person, he was stuck with it. They were still short of staff and had been for a year. Marguerite was still the chef, Cathy was running the office, Sarah was providing maid service, Greg was providing security, and Bob was still the handyman. They still needed an assistant for Cathy as the amount of work was overwhelming. John was surprised at how much he missed having Ed and Ling around the house. Kelly and he had slept together almost every night, but he missed Ling's touch and his evening conversations with Ed. Kelly was often tired at night and missed Ling more than he. Every one missed Beth; she had been such an integral part of the household. Tonight was Wednesday and the tribal elders would be meeting. He called the security center looking for Greg, but he wasn't there. He tried the garage, but there was no answer from there. He finally contacted the office connecting with Cathy. She answered, "Hello?" "Hi Cathy, this is John." "What can I do for you?" "I'm trying to locate Greg. I need him to pick up two cartoons of cigarettes for my trip to the reservation tonight." Cathy replied, "He's meeting with the Police Chief about some security details. I'll call him on his cell phone and give him the message." John asked, "He has a cell phone?" Cathy laughed as she answered, "Everyone has a cell phone except you." "Oh." She asked, "Do you want one?" "I don't know. Do I need one?" There was a hesitation for second. "I would like to answer yes to that question." "Then I guess I'll get one." He disconnected wondering how he had missed noticing that everyone had a cell-phone. He felt that he was missing major changes in the world around him. He wondered if it was time that he went into a major urban area and worked there for a while. He was still teaching one class a semester in Phoenix, but he didn't spend much time in the town. He picked up the telephone and called the head of the physics department. He told them he wouldn't be teaching a course next semester, but would return the semester after that. They weren't happy about it, but there wasn't too much they could do. John approached the simple building well after dark. He could hear the discussions taking place within the building. He was stopped at the main door by a man guarding it. He was not friendly. John greeted the man, "Hello. I am here to meet with the tribal elders." The man replied, "The tribal elders do not deal with white men." John smiled, "Would you mind asking them if I may talk to them?" "Look Mr. Indian-wanna-be, we don't want to be bothered by you or your kind." John smiled, "That is an admirable sentiment. I am sure that William Redman will agree with you." The use of William's name surprised the man. William never dealt with white men. The man replied, "William doesn't talk to white men." John looked at the man carefully in the light. He realized that he knew the man. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He offered the pack to the man. He stated, "It has been a long time since I've seen you Awa Tsireh. The last time you were watching a flock of sheep." The man took the pack and removed a cigarette. This man knowing his true name shocked him. He lit the cigarette and handed the pack back to John. He asked, "Who are you?" "John Carter." The day he had met the white man with the cat in the desert came rushing back to him. He remembered sending the man to meet William Redman. He stated, "wait here, John Carter." The man went inside for a minute. He returned quickly. He asked, "What is your business here?" John replied, "I have come seeking the benefits of their wisdom." He nodded. "They will see you last." "Thank you," replied John. He looked at the man for a moment. "You don't like whites coming here." "That's right." "Why?" asked John. The man stared at him. He wondered if an honest answer would upset John. He stated, "They come here to steal from us." "That is a good reason not to trust whites. However, keeping whites away won't protect you and may hurt you in the long run." "Why do you say that?" "Well, you try to keep the whites away like that and the ones that want to help will not come here. The ones that want to steal will just find another way in." replied John. "So what do you suggest?" He was actually curious as to what John was going to say. "Your tribe needs lawyers that will protect the tribe." Awa Tsireh burst out laughing. He shook his head, "You white men. Who do you think we need protection from?" "I didn't say you should hire lawyers. I said your tribe needs lawyers." The man looked at John with a very critical eye. He challenged, "Who?" John smiled, "Oh, I would suggest warriors that enjoy a good battle. I would recommend men and women such as you. If you are to fight the white man, then you must learn to use their weapons against them. You would be good at it." Awa Tsireh looked thoughtful. The issue always came down to money. He stated, "How will I pay for a law school degree?" John looked at him. "I would talk to William Redman about it. You might be surprised at what he has to say. There is money for that." The door opened as a number of people left the meeting hall. The last one out stated, "You may go in now." John went into the cinder-block building. It was a general-purpose building. The room the elders were in doubled as a basketball court. The elders sat at a table across the front of the room. John stepped forward and set two cartoons of cigarettes on the table. He went back to the middle of the room and stood facing them. They watched him for several minutes, but John just waited. Finally, one of the men asked, "Why have you come, John Carter?" John looked at each person for a second and then answered, "I have come for your advice." There was a moment of silence. Finally, William Redman asked, "What kind of advice could our friend John Carter want from us?" John looked at William Redman, "A young woman has offered herself to me on behalf of your tribe." John paused. William replied, "That is true." "Many in the tribe disagree with this action on her part." "That is true, also." John nodded and thought about it. He stated, "I want to avoid problems between your tribe and my clan." William asked, "Why do you think there will be problems?" John waited a minute before answering, "Discontent on the part of the tribe does not bode well for relations with the Carter clan." The elders talked amongst themselves for a moment. John watched as they discussed the matter. He was patient. Finally, William stated, "You have made a good observation." John nodded. "I have made another observation. The young woman desires this more than the tribe." This time, the talk among the elders was much more animated. John could tell that he had hit upon a truth that was already recognized among the elders. "So what are you suggesting John Carter?" "The woman offered herself to me on behalf of the tribe. The tribe did not offer her to me. The tribe is still free to offer me anything that will maintain peaceful relations." William grinned as he asked, "Such as?" John thought about it for a long time and then said, "Perhaps a handcrafted gift worked upon by those members of the tribe that wish to extend a thanks." An old woman stated, "You can buy anything you want." John laughed. "I can buy things. I can not buy the goodwill that goes into its making. That is priceless." The woman cackled, "Oh, William. You are so right about this John Carter." William smiled, "So what about the young woman?" "That is where I need your advice." The old men around the table laughed. One of them stated, "You are not the first brave that needs advice when dealing with a woman." The old woman made a gesture and everyone quieted down. She asked, "Do you have an idea?" John stated, "I would like to ask her for a date in public, where it is clear that the request is coming from me and that she has a choice to accept or not." "We need to discuss this among ourselves." The elders talked among themselves for quite a while. John waited patiently as the discussion progressed. The minutes stretched into half an hour. John understood that he had brought them a difficult problem. Finally, the elders all nodded and turned to face John. William stated, "Four weeks from tonight, you will come here. We shall present a gift such as you suggested. There shall be a celebration after the gift has been given. During that celebration, you will publicly ask me for permission to date the young lady. I shall give my permission. Sarah can give you background on how to ask." John stated, "It is a wise choice." William stated, "It is a wise man that goes to others for advice and listens to it. You have allowed us to resolve a general tension in the tribe while allowing a young lady that is afraid of following her heart to do as her heart directs." John smiled, "Thank you for your time. I appreciate the effort you have put into this problem of mine. May I also inform you of one other minor matter?" William sat back, somewhat irritated. He didn't like it when a person stated that they needed one thing and then asked for two. "What?" John smiled, "This afternoon, I signed papers giving 10% of the royalties for my latest invention to the Native American College." William asked, "May I know the nature of the invention?" John nodded, "Yes. It is a AAA battery based on the fusion well. It shall make lots of money." The old woman sat back suspicious of his motivation, "What do you want from this?" "Nothing. The money belongs to the college. I mention it now so that you may consider ways to use the money." John turned to leave. William called out, "John Carter, you do all these things for our people and ask nothing in return. Why?" John answered, "I do it for all those who know the ways of the Earth Spirit. I serve the Gods and Goddesses. Our goals are the same, but our methods differ. It is time for us to grow stronger so that the earth can be healed. If we don't get strong enough, then all our people shall die out." The council of elders was quite for a long time. Finally, one of them stated, "The tribal traditions have almost died out. They are only now coming back." John nodded. "This is the first time in eight hundred years that there has been a Grand Druid. We have tripled in strength over the past fifteen years." John stared into the distance as though here were looking at something far away. "The last time I went to Los Angeles, the sky was clear and blue. The air smelled almost as good as it smells here. There was a time when I couldn't breath there because the air was so bad." "Cars now run on fusion rather than petroleum. They have stopped strip mining worldwide because they no longer need coal. Acid rain has stopped falling. The forests are returning. Rivers are running cleaner. The seasons are returning to normal." "Life is better now for people all over the world. Even the most remote location now has access to safe and clean power. Refrigeration has made food safer. Telephone poles and power lines are disappearing. Goods are cheaper as the energy required to produce them costs nearly nothing." John continued to stare off into space. "There is much that is good happening now. We must teach them to nurture the earth so that it can recover. We need the swamps, the rivers, the forests, the great plains, and the deserts." John stood silent, leaning upon his walking stick. He saw all the problems that remained to be fixed. There was still so much to do. The minutes passed as he continued to look into the distance. Finally, he came back to the room and looked at the council of elders. He smiled. "Sorry, I got lost for a minute." William stated, "It is late and time for you to go home. Your family is waiting for you." John nodded. "Once again, I thank you for your help. May your paths be long and pleasant." John left as the council watched him leave. When he had left the room, William turned to his wife and stated, "He's an interesting one." "You are right about him." One of the others laughed, "Linda will make a good wife for him." William asked, "Should we tell her what was decided tonight?" "No. We must decide on a gift and then isolate her from the rest of the tribe," stated one of the old women. "She will try to find some way to force things to her way." William's wife stated, "Do not worry about her. It is time she learned the old ways. I will take her to the cave in the hills." Awa Tsireh entered the room. He stated, "grandfathers and grandmothers, I have talked to John Carter. He knows I do not trust the whites." William looked up at him with curiosity. He asked, "What did he say to that?" Awa Tsireh replied, "That I need to learn to fight the white man more effectively. He suggested I become a lawyer." "He did?" "Yes, he did." The old woman asked, "What about money?" "When I asked about money, he told me to talk to William Redman." William laughed. He now understood why John had told him about the money. He was hoping that William would find a way to use it to help people pursuing degrees not offered by the college. He was a tricky one, that John Carter. He stated, "The money will be arranged." John drove home happy that things had worked out so well. He had cemented a bond that had almost been broken. Tomorrow would be another long day. He was to teach tomorrow for three hours. He would also stop by the FBI office and see Ann. She had invited them for dinner a long time ago. His family had gone to her house while he was away for the funeral of Mrs. South. She had extended a second invitation, but the death of Beth and the long-term stay in LA of Ed and Ling had delayed it past the point of embarrassment. He pulled up to the house and parked in the garage. He went to enter through the garage entrance, but several bats flew around the door. He almost forced the issue, but decided they were warning him somehow. He started for the front door, but the bats moved to intercept him. He turned and went to the back door that was rarely used. The bats did not interfere this time. The house was dark and quiet when he entered. He hit the light switch, but nothing happened. His senses went into overdrive as his medallion seemed to burn on his chest. There was no way the entire house should be dark. There were five different fusion batteries powering it. He drew his cloak around him tighter and held his walking stick in a position that was ready to use. He slowly crept into the house listening for any sound that would suggest a threat. There was complete silence. The harder he tried to listen, the louder the sound of his heartbeat rang in his ears. He took three deep breaths attempting to calm down and get control of his nerves. He moved further into the room. He could hear breathing coming from the dining room. He moved towards the door to dining room and could see the people tied to the chair. He examined the layout of the room. If he went to the dining room, he would be silhouetted for a moment. It was a perfect ambush spot. He concentrated on the upstairs. He could hear minor noises coming from there. He relaxed knowing where at least one assassin stood. He slowly moved to the stairs on the other side of the room. He climbed the stairs, standing as close to the wall as possible to prevent the stairs for squeaking. When he made it to the top of the stairs, he stopped and listened. He almost swore aloud when he heard breathing from the guestroom at the top of the stairs. He listened carefully trying to figure out how many people were in the room. There were at least four men in the room. In his minds eye, he could almost see them. He had to figure out what to do. He decided that it would be best to wait. He had tremendous patience and could outwait them. He stood there frozen on the stairs for ten minutes. He could hear the people shifting around in the room. At last one of the men walked away from the door and sat on the bed. He waited some more. Finally, one of them whispered, "I don't think he's in here." The one at the end of the hall whispered back, "Shut up." John smiled. He didn't recognize the voices, but the one at the end of the hall was definitely a Hispanic man. He could hear the ones in the guestroom whisper to each other. They were getting tired of waiting. Two more of them moved to the bed and sat down. There was only one at the door now. John held up his walking stick and with one quick thrust, rammed it into the guys neck, crushing the larynx. He went down like a log. One of the men in the room went to the door to investigate. He knelt down only to get the walking stick across the back of his neck. John moved down the stairs. The group in the room realized that something was wrong and went to investigate. Now there was no attempt to be quiet. One of them shouted, "He killed them!" The one at the other end of the hall came down to where the excitement was. John moved quickly to the other stairs and climbed up. He positioned himself in the corner and waited for the excitement to die down. Two of them were out of commission, he had four to go. The Hispanic man directed two of them to go downstairs. He sent the other to the top of the stairs and then returned to his spot overlooking the door to the dining room. John brought his walking stick down across the back of his neck. The assassin dropped to the ground, out cold. John held still waiting to see what the man at the other end of the hall did. He didn't hear anything and slowly made his way to the far end of the hall. Listening for breathing, he swung his walking stick where he figured the back of the guys neck would be. He connected with the back of the skull instead. There was a sickening sound as the skull crushed from the force of the blow. He pulled the men into the guestroom. Only one of them was breathing. He searched through the room looking for something he could use to tie up the man. He came across a lamp and tore the cord from it. He used that to tie the man's hands behind his back. He stuffed part of a sheet into the mouth and tied the sheet in place with the other end of the cord. It was the best that he could do in the dark. John went back into the hall and listened carefully. He could hear the two men downstairs moving around. John went back to where he had knocked the Hispanic man out. He felt around on the floor until he found a shotgun. It was a pump shotgun with a pistol grip. He realized this guy was taking no chances on missing him. John sat down trying to decide what to do next. He realized that he still had a pack of cigarettes in his pocket. The idea that came to mind seemed too ridiculous to work, but he decided to try it anyway. He prepared the shotgun so that he could fire it quickly. He threw the cigarette pack across the room towards a vase near the front door. When they fired, John opened fire where he thought the men were standing based on the muzzle flash. He kept firing until he was out of rounds in the shotgun. John quickly moved out of the way and listened to the sounds below. He could hear the two men groaning. He waited a minute to see if he heard any other sounds. Holding one hand over his eye, he hit the light switch at the top of the stairs. The room lit up. There were two men on the floor lying in separate pools of blood. John looked around and found a pistol on the floor. He turned off the light and uncovered his other eye. He moved down the hall and picked up the pistol that was on the floor. He gently set the shotgun down on the floor. He moved to the staircase and climbed down. Again, he stayed close to the wall to prevent any squeaks. He paused at the bottom of the stairs. He was just a few feet from the door to the dining room. He quickly dived through the door into the dining room. There were no shots fired. He whispered, "Don't move until I untie everyone. Then we'll run into the kitchen as a group." He moved behind one of the chairs and untied the ropes holding the woman there. He couldn't tell who it was, but guessed that it was either Cathy or Sarah. He reached up and undid the gag. The texture of the hair let him know that it was Sarah. She stated, "It was five. I don't know where Greg is." John relaxed. He moved to the next chair and undid the ropes. This had to be Cathy. When he removed the gag, Cathy asked, "Did you get them all?" "I believe so." He moved behind Bob and untied him. John removed the gag. Bob didn't say anything or react in any way. John was suddenly concerned. He wondered if Bob was okay. Kelly was next. He went to untie her, but the knots were extremely tight. He worked feverishly to remove the knots. Finally, they came loose. Kelly groaned as the blood rushed back into hands that had been tied too tightly. She bit her lip as pins and needles pricked her hands. He moved over to Marguerite and untied her. He removed her gag. She whispered, "Bob hasn't moved since he was tied up." John went over to Bob. He whispered, "Everyone into the kitchen." The whole group stumbled into the kitchen. John half-carried and half-dragged Bob into the kitchen. When everyone was in the room, he shut the door. He turned on the lights and waited for his eyes to adjust. Cathy grabbed the cell-phone and called the police. Kelly carefully examined Bob, a look of concern on her face. John asked, "What happened?" Marguerite answered, "I don't know. I was waiting for Greg. When I answered the knock on the door, these guys jumped me. They carried me down to the dining room and tied me up." Sarah frowned. "I was waiting for Greg. I was jumped when I answered the door." John looked over at Cathy. She frowned and shook her fist. John understood that she had been waiting for Greg also. John realized that the sixth man had been Greg. John stated, "I got six. The sixth one must have been Greg." Cathy stated, "The police are in the house now. They know we are locked in the kitchen." John stated, "Tell them that there are two wounded in the living room and four in the upstairs guest room." There was a knock on the kitchen door. Robert White Feather called out, "It's Robert White Feather." John relaxed and opened the door, "Come on in." ------- Chapter 11 Bob lay in the hospital bed unmoving. The even ping of the heart monitor, intended to reassure, irritated Kelly as she watched over him. It was a constant reminder that he was seriously injured. The concussion was serious. A vertebra in his neck had been cracked. It would heal, but he would have a stiff neck for the rest of his life. His concussion was much more troubling. He had not regained consciousness after twelve hours. Marguerite returned to the room with coffee for them both. As Kelly took a cup of coffee from her, she noticed the redness of the cook's eyes. Her heart nearly broke when she realized that Marguerite had been crying. She suddenly realized that Marguerite and Bob had been with them the longest of all the staff. Of the original staff, Ling had married them and Bill had gone to Florida. When Marguerite sat down next to Kelly, Kelly grasped her hand. She stated, "You love him, don't you?" "Yes. We had talked about marriage and having a child." Kelly reassured the woman, "He'll be okay." Marguerite started to cry again. Kelly hugged the woman closely. She understood very well the fear of loosing a loved one. She had been through that with John when he had been wounded in the white slavery raid. He had survived, but only after dying. Now she watched as Marguerite went through a personal hell. A doctor came into the room and noticed Kelly. His voice was friendly, as he asked, "Aren't you supposed to be on duty this afternoon?" Kelly looked at him with anger at the idea that he was worried about her being at work on time. The dissatisfaction at working without Beth nearby bubbled up to the surface. She bluntly stated, "I'm resigning my position." The doctor looked shocked, "Kelly, please reconsider. We need you around here." Kelly was about to reply, but realized that her anger was rooted in a lack of sleep. She apologized, "I'm sorry to be so short with you. I'm very tired. I haven't had any sleep since yesterday morning. I was held hostage at gunpoint and a very dear friend of mine was seriously injured." The doctor nodded. "I understand. You have had a tough couple of months. Rather than resign, why don't you take a leave of absence." Kelly answered, "I'll think about it." The doctor nodded and then said, "Let me examine the patient now." The doctor examined Bob carefully. He shook his head at the results. He turned to Kelly, "He took quite a crack on the head last night. I'm afraid that he has some swelling. It's not much, but I'm going to have to relieve some of the pressure. I'm sure that you understand that procedure. While I'm doing that, why don't you and your friend go into Beth's old office? She had a couch in there that opened into a bed. Get some rest and I'll get you when there's any change in the patient." Kelly and Marguerite took his advice and went to Beth's old office. She still had the keys to it. She realized on entering the office that she had never started to clean out Beth's old stuff. She almost cried when she saw the picture of the whole Carter Clan that was sitting on her desk. Marguerite opened the couch into a bed. Both women settled onto the bed, hugging each other. It was only a matter of minutes before they fell asleep. John sat in Ann's office watching as she read the report that he had given Sidney. It was a very complete account of everything, at least as much as he knew of what had occurred. Ann looked up from the statement. "Very impressive. You took out six all alone. Sidney told me when he handed the report to me that you must have been blind in a past life. You handled them as well as he could have ever hoped to deal with a group like that in the dark." John thought about the bats and wondered if they had helped somehow. He said, "I was scared to death the whole time." "Why didn't you leave and call the police?" "They had my family held hostage." John's mannerisms in answering the question suggested that he had no second thoughts about the wisdom of his actions. His family was threatened and he acted to protect them. "Do you know who they were?" John answered, "No. I have no idea why they were there." Ann smiled. For the first time in a long time, she had information that he didn't already have. She stated, "The man that attacked your family was Alberto Rodriguez." John looked puzzled. "I thought he was dead." Ann shrugged her shoulders and replied, "He is now. He died an hour ago from the blow to the back of his head." "So where has he been all these years?" John wasn't concerned about the man's death. The man had been a monster that dealt in human flesh. "We'll follow up on that. For now, we have no idea." John nodded. "I'd appreciate it if you let me know what you find out." Ann set the papers on her desk and turned to face John. She changed the subject. "I talked with Director Olim about you after I heard the news." "Does he want my resignation?" Ann smiled at the question. They had discussed that topic several times in the past. He had suggested that John tackle a specific case that had been open for over a year with no progress. She picked up a folder and handed it to John. She said, "He wants you to solve this case." John opened the folder and glanced at the contents. Inside was a picture of a young girl and a young boy engaged in a sexual activity. He read the accompanying report as a slow anger began to boil inside him. He looked up at Ann. Through clenched teeth, he said, "We need to find out how many children the wife had." Ann's eyebrows went up in surprise. "May I ask why?" "The girl they found had no memory of any other kind of life. That means she's been doing it since the age of three or so. They have been unable to match her to any missing child reports. The only conclusion is that the parents know what happened to her. If so, then they are part of this. If I take it to a logical conclusion, it is a bunch of adults swapping their children around as sex toys." "You got that out of a single reading of the report?" John nodded. "Yes. The girl is eleven now. That means it has been going on for at least eight years. I would predict that it is longer than that." Ann sighed as she thought about the scenario John had spelled out. This would be a tough one to crack. She activated the speakerphone and called Olim. She was put through to Olim immediately. She reported John's assessment of the case. There was a long pause at the other end. Olim asked, "How would you go about finding these families?" John was quiet for a minute as he thought it through. He stated, "If this is as I suspect, then there should be some kids that have grown too old to be of interest. They would have been dumped. Of course, these kids have no life skills other than sex. They don't know how to read or write. Probably, they don't even know how to deal with money. I'm sure that if you were to contact juvenile detention facilities, they would have information about kids that fit that profile. If we can interview those kids, we may be able to acquire additional clues concerning the ring. A police artist will at least give us an idea of what these creatures look like." Olim was silent for a minute. He stated, "I'll assign a dozen agents to this problem. They'll send you their reports." John said, "Don't worry. We'll get them." Olim stated, "Ann, can I talk to you privately?" John stated, "I'll leave the room now." John went into the hall and walked down to Sidney's office. Sidney heard his dog react to his presence. "Hello John." "Hi, Sidney. How's Timmy?" John asked. His earlier stay in the office had been business only. Now that Sidney had submitted his report, they could talk casually. The blind man reached down to pet his new seeing-eye dog. "We're still learning how to get along. He's a good dog." "That's good. How's married life?" Sidney smiled broadly. "It's great. Shirley and Mary are about to wear me out at night. Thank god that I have Edward." John understood. There were times when the women were ready for sex and he was too tired to accommodate them. He asked, "If I may ask, how are the living arrangements in your household?" Sidney answered, "We followed your advice. A separate room for each person. We aren't quite as liberated as you guys, so the sexual roles are much more traditional." "You mean you aren't bisexual." "Right, but I will say one thing. Edward and I are a lot closer than I ever thought two men could be. We get together and just talk for hours at a time." John nodded. "Yes, I'd say that I talk to Ed more than all of the wives combined." Sidney laughed and joked, "I guess it's true what they say. Misery loves company." John laughed as he retorted, "If that is misery, then I'm a parrot!" Sidney stated, "Well, I'll see if there's an evening when Shirley is free and we'll have you over for dinner that night." John answered, "That would be great. I look forward to it." Sidney stated, "I better get back to work." Leaving the office, John returned to Ann's office. Her door was open. Remembering to knock, he entered the office. Ann smiled as she said, "You've definitely got him confused. You told him more in five minutes than they've been able to learn in almost a year." "Glad to be able to help." Ann sat back and smiled at John. "When is Ed and Ling returning?" "I'm not sure. We are still waiting for the hospital to release Dr. Hayes. He's still in traction. As soon as they get a cast on him, we'll bring him home. Ed and Ling will accompany him." He paused for a second and then added, "When they get back, we'd like to invite you and your husband over for a weekend." She was about to argue and then realized that it would be best for all parties concerned. They wouldn't leave the house all together because of Dr. Hayes's injuries. She conceded the invitation, "We'd be delighted. I guess things are pretty hectic in your household now." John laughed heartily. He was about to say something in return when they heard a disturbance in the front office. Ling's voice carried down the hall. "Take me to John right now or I'll twist your arm right off." He raced out of the office to the front of the suite. Ling was standing there with an agent in an arm lock and another one on the ground, her foot pressed against his groin. John shouted, "Stop it, Ling. I'm okay." She let go of the agent and walked over to John. The sound of her slap across his face reverberated through the office. Angrily she asked, "How dare you not call us? We've been worried sick." John rubbed his face in shock. "Ah, I didn't have a chance." She held up a cell phone and asked, "Don't you have one of these?" "No, I don't." They had tried to get him a cell phone earlier, but he could never keep it charged and never thought to use it. "You had better get one today! Ed and I were going crazy. No one was at home. We called the police office and they said that there had been an assassination attempt on you. The dispatcher didn't know if you were okay. She only knew that an ambulance had been called to take one of the men to the hospital." "Ling, calm down." He turned to the other agents and helped the one off the floor. The other one was standing sheepishly rubbing his shoulder. John stated, "I have to apologize. She was worried about me." The agent that had been on the ground shook his hands in front of his body. "No problem. Let's just not mention it to anyone. Please." Taking a deep breath, John stated, "Okay. I'll also get her out of here as soon as possible." "Thanks, John. Your wife is a tiger." John laughed as he said, "You should see her when she gets mad." Ling snarled at John and then asked, "Are you done here?" Ann came out to the reception area. "Hello, Ling. I see you have things well in hand here." "Hello, Ann. It's good to see you again." "Ann, I'm afraid I should leave now and take her to see the rest of the family before she gets mad at me. I'll get in touch with you about coming to the house, okay?" The look Ann gave John was close to pity. "Go on, get out of here. I'll send those files over to you when I get them." "Thanks, Ann," replied John. He turned to Ling and said, "let me get my stuff and then we are out of here." He went into the spare office and picked up his cloak and walking stick. He put on his cloak and left the office. Ling was waiting for him impatiently. He could understand her feelings. They had lost Beth recently and she had been dealing with Dr. Hayes for the past month. He went to her and embraced her tightly. He whispered in her ear, "I've missed you so very much." She melted in his arms. He kissed her after he said, "I love you." Her arms tightened around him as the tension started to drain from her body. She hadn't realized how much she missed this until he had hugged her. She smiled up at him and asked, "Can we use your office for an hour?" "It's not soundproof. I'd hate for them to think that I'm torturing a suspect in there." Bumping her hip against him, she cooed, "Let's get out of here." The two of them went to the car. Ling's eyes examined every person for ill intent; she had gone into bodyguard mode. They got into his car and left Phoenix. The drive seemed shorter than usual as John related the events of the night before to Ling. She listened to every detail and asked for clarifications about some things. He pulled into the garage just as he finished his story. Entering the house first, Ling looked around before she let John come in. She just about jumped a foot when Cathy came charging around the corner. Cathy went to Ling and hugged her tightly, crying, "Oh, Ling it was so awful. I was tied up and couldn't warn him. I've never felt so helpless in my life." John asked, "Where's Sarah?" "She's probably lying down. She cleaned up all that blood. I think she threw up half the time she was down here." "Where's everyone else?" asked Ling. "About an hour ago, I called the hospital. Bob's remains unconscious. Kelly and Marguerite are there with him. I was told they had fallen asleep." Cathy looked very unhappy. John moved to her and hugged her tightly. She nearly collapsed in his arms. He stated, "Let me get you to bed. You are exhausted." She tried to protest, but John picked her up and carried her upstairs. She held on to him like a sleepy child being brought home from the babysitters. She opened the door and he carried her to the bedroom. Gently, he undressed her and then laid her in the bed. With a chaste kiss on the forehead, he pulled the blankets up. "Sleep well." He moved out of the room, closing the door behind him. Sarah came out of her room. He looked at her for a second. She looked horrible. Her face was pale, there were bags under her eyes, her eyes were red from crying, and her clothes showed that she had been on her hands and knees cleaning. He hugged her tightly and said, "It's alright now. Get to bed and sleep." She numbly nodded and returned to her room. John went downstairs and watched as Ling went through the house carefully. He followed her to the security room. She went to the monitors to examine the tapes of the previous night. The recorder was empty. She looked up at John and said, "There's no record." "Greg was part of it. He was the first one that I killed last night." Ling growled, "He's lucky. If I got my hands on him, he'd wish for death. I assure you that it would be years coming." "Now, Ling. You don't really mean it," replied John. He was dead tired. He had not gotten any sleep since the morning before. It was rapidly approaching noon. He sat in one of the chairs while Ling examined the security equipment. The monitors came back on under Ling's talented fingertips. Greg had turned things off rather than destroy them. She examined the entire estate through the monitors. She took special notice of the work being done on the house for Dr. and Mrs. Hayes. There were ground sensors between here and their house. She'd have to go check them in a little while. For now, she could send John out to walk around and make sure that they functioned. She turned to ask him and saw that he had fallen asleep. Shaking him by the shoulder, she woke him. When he looked at her through blurry eyes, she stated, "Get to bed. I'll wake you in an hour." He stood and walked off to his room. Entering it, he found his sleeping bag in its usual place. He lay down and immediately went to sleep. Ling picked up the telephone and dialed the police station. She talked a few minutes with Robert White Feather and sat back to relax. Robert and another officer would come in a few minutes to guard the house while she went to the hospital. To pass the time, she went down to her room to shower and change her clothes. She came out feeling like a million dollars. The two policemen came and she showed them around the house. Pointing out the kitchen, she told them to eat anything they wanted. She was sure that Marguerite had some excellent leftovers stashed somewhere. Robert smiled as he found this was an excellent way to spend his last day on the force. The hospital room was quiet when she entered. Bob was sitting up in his bed with his eyes half open. They came fully open when he spotted Ling. He apologized, "Oh, Ling. I tried. I really tried. There were just too many of them for me to stop. I'm so sorry." Ling's eyes misted at the sight of his pain. "You did what you could. That's all that anyone can ask for. I doubt I would have done any better. You almost got yourself killed. If you had died, then I would have been mad at you. The whole trick in the body guard business is to keep everyone alive until help shows up." "Thanks, but I should have been able to do more." Rather than argue, Ling bent down and kissed him gently on the cheek. She said, "Thanks for everything you did." Bob smiled weakly. "Thank you, Ling." "Let me go find my errant wife and that girlfriend of yours." Lightly grabbing her arm, Bob stated, "They are asleep in Beth's old office. Don't wake them. According to the nurse, they watched over me all night and most of this morning." Ling sat down next to Bob and started to talk to him about his plans with Marguerite. He told her about how much he wanted to marry her, but that he was afraid that she would want to go open a restaurant some day. He said that he was happy being a handyman at the house. Ling listened as he told her about his hopes and fears. In a way, he still felt more connected to Ling than any of the other family members. She had once been a member of the staff. She could relate to all that he said. She even laughed when he confessed that he had been more worried about Marguerite getting hurt than the harm to anyone else there. She understood that his love for the woman was talking. She promised herself that they got a very good honeymoon. She smiled as she considered an around the world trip to the twenty best restaurants in the world. Bob was still talking when his eyes slowly closed and he fell asleep. Ling went out and got a nurse, unsure if it was all right for him to sleep. The nurse assured her that Bob needed his sleep and she should give him a chance to get some rest. Ling returned to the room and watched him softly snore. Ling sat there for two hours before Kelly showed up. Kelly ran to Ling and hugged her tightly. Ling whispered, "He's asleep now. I talked to him earlier." The women stepped out of the room to where they could talk. The talk started with the general state of everyone and ended with a discussion about rewarding Bob for his bravery. Kelly went into the room to watch over Bob while Ling went in search of a good cup of coffee. As Kelly sat in the room, she looked at the newspaper. Midsummer was less than two months away. She decided that it was time for her to have a talk with that Goddess of John's. The Goddess had to take better care of John than she had been and Kelly decided that she would be the one to convince her of that. John had lost Betsy and now he had lost Beth. John worked harder than anyone to make the world a better place. He shouldn't have to suffer losses at home. She was startled out of her thoughts by a naked woman entering the room. The woman was beautiful and the sight of her literally took Beth's breath away. The woman looked at Kelly with a smile. "Yes, little one. Come to me on Midsummer's Day. We shall see what you have to say then." The woman disappeared as Ling entered the room. Kelly turned to Ling and, in an awed voice, asked, "Did you see her?" "Who?" "The woman that was here." Kelly nearly doubled over as a wave of desire washed over her. She was horny and needed attention. "There was no one here except for you," replied Ling. She looked at Kelly and could see that something was wrong with her. She moved to the woman and hugged her. Kelly whimpered, "I need you right now." "Right now?" Ling was puzzled by Kelly's behavior. "Are you all right?" "No. I need an orgasm right now. If you don't help me, I'll do it myself." Her hand went between her legs. She started rubbing herself vigorously. Her hips were rocking and her breathing was shallow. Ling moved to the door and closed it. She returned to Kelly as she collapsed to the ground with her hand busy between her legs. Ling knelt down and lifted the skirt. Moving the panties out of the way, she licked Kelly's pussy with gentle long licks. Kelly grabbed her head and forced it harder into her, demanding greater effort and a rougher approach. Ling gave up all subtlety and sucked the clit between her lips while flicking her tongue over the little bud. Kelly moaned as her entire body shook when the orgasm finally washed over her. Ling sat back watching Kelly slowly recover. When Kelly finally opened her eyes, Ling asked, "What was that about?" "The Goddess. She was here." Ling looked at her as though convinced that Kelly had finally broken under the strain. "Are you sure?" Kelly nodded, "She was the most beautiful women I've ever seen." Ling decided that she would discuss this with John when she had a chance. The chance to continue the discussion was interrupted by the arrival of Marguerite. She looked surprised to see Ling and moved in to hug the woman. "Hello, Ling." "Hello, Marguerite." A weak voice came from the bed, "Marguerite? Are you okay?" She rushed to the bed and grabbed his hand. She ran a hand over his forehead as she gazed lovingly into his eyes. "Oh, my dear man. You are finally awake. I was so worried about you." "And I was worried about you." Marguerite laughed even as she felt like crying. She asked, "What am I going to do with you, my hero?" Bob took a deep breath and suggested, "You could marry me." "Of course, I'll marry you." Kelly came over and put an arm around Marguerite. "Congratulations you two. It's about time." ------- Chapter 12 Pain affects different people differently. Some people can have horrible wounds and feel nothing. Others can have a minor scratch and be in agony. However, most people react to pain by being irritable. Dr. Hayes was definitely a person that gets irritable when in pain. The trip from Los Angeles to the Carter Clan home had definitely pushed the man to his limits. He was ready to burst by the time he was rolled into the infirmary. Doctor Leonard from the hospital nodded to Kelly. She jabbed a needle in Dr. Hayes' ass and within a few seconds, he was asleep. Kelly sat back and smiled at the rest of the family. She asked Ed, "How did you ever survive the trip?" Shaking his head, Ed joked, "I threatened him with physical harm." John, knowing that Ed wouldn't do that, laughed as he said, "Right." Happy to have Ed home again, Kelly wrapped herself around him and kissed him. Ed's hands came up and caressed her intimately. Mrs. Hayes looked a little embarrassed, but didn't look away. John wondered how she'd react to a naked Sarah walking around all day long. It took some time, but Kelly finally released Ed. The two men hugged like long lost friends. Looking around the room, John stated, "Hey Kelly. Why don't you take Ed and welcome our husband home properly?" The two of them smiled and left the room. Kelly was sashaying, definitely exaggerating the motion of her hips for John's benefit. The silence was broken by Mrs. Hayes assertion, "She is definitely going to welcome him home, big time." "Wait until it's Ling's turn." "I've already heard that. So did half the people in the hotel." She realized what she had said and then blushed. Ling laughed while John looked on in amusement. "Sarah will be down in a minute to watch Dr. Hayes," stated John. He added, "Dr. Leonard, any special instructions we should follow?" "No, just keep him in here for a few days. Feed him when he's hungry. If you're strong enough to help him get to the bathroom, then he won't need to use the bedpan. When you do move him, make sure that he has the neck brace. When he's ready, I'll make sure that he gets a wheel chair." The instructions were simple enough. John nodded, "Okay, we'll do that." The arrival of Sarah in her naked glory caused a little ripple in the calm atmosphere of the clinic. The doctor looked very surprised while a blushing Mrs. Hayes hid her mouth behind a hand. John and Ling didn't even react to her presence other than to nod in her direction. John stated, "Sarah, you get first shift to watch over him. He's going to be asleep for several hours so don't disturb him." "Sure thing, John." Sitting down in the chair, she started to read a book. She crossed her legs and swung the upper one. She was oblivious to the looks she was getting from the doctor and Beth's mother. John thanked the doctor for coming. The doctor stated that he would be coming by every evening on his way home from work to check on the patient. After a few words with Ling, the doctor followed her out of the house. John turned to Mrs. Hayes saying, "Let me take you to your room." She asked, "Isn't it the same one I was in before?" "No, we are setting you up here in the back of the house. You'll be closer to your husband." John was going to tell her more, but decided that she would just have to discover what life in the back of the house was like for herself. John led her to the room adjacent to the clinic. He had her put her hand on the hand plate. The door opened for her. He went into the room and turned on the light, "This was Beth's room. It is yours to use until your house is finished." When she started to cry, John held her tightly and moved with a slightly rocking motion like one uses when comforting an infant. She cried for a long time, but John didn't worry. He knew that it was really the first time that she had to release her grief over her daughter's death. When she finally pulled herself together, she stated, "You must consider me to be a foolish old woman." "Not at all. You're a mother that loved her daughter very much." John smiled down at her face. He wiped away her tears with the sleeve of his robe. She sniffed and looked around the room. John stated, "I'll leave you alone for a while to settle in. I'm sure it will be rough for you and you don't need clumsy old me hanging around. If you need anything, pick up the telephone and dial 1111. That will get you to Cathy and she can help you in any way that you need. Okay?" "Yes. Thanks a lot John for everything you've done for us." She smiled at him fondly. She added, "Ed has been absolutely wonderful. My husband likes him now and finally understands what Beth saw in him." John said, "We've done very little. I'm glad that Dr. Hayes has learned to appreciate Ed." John left the room and went to the informal living room. Leroy was seated there watching the television. There was some nature show about animal life in the desert on the television and Leroy was glued to the set. John, Kelly, and Ling had found Leroy at the site of an accident. His car had been hit by a drunk driver and he had a broken arm. There was a woman in another car and Leroy had been busy trying to break the window on the locked door. The woman had been bleeding and Leroy wouldn't let them treat him until they had taken care of the woman. John had liked the black man right from that moment. They had brought him home while he recovered from his injuries. John smiled and went to the poolroom. He removed his robe and dove into the pool. He started swimming laps, taking an easy pace and enjoying the motion of his body as it slid through the water. The repetitive act of swimming allowed his mind to swim through waters of a different kind. One of the things his mind worked on was Ed's possible reaction to Leroy. Ed had never said anything racist in his company, but there was a lot of difference between treating people as equals in a social situation and doing so in a private situation. His mental swim was interrupted by the sound of someone sitting in a chair by the pool. He stopped at the shallow end and stood up to see who had come in the room. Leroy asked, "What were you thinking about?" It was hard for him to put his thoughts into words. He answered, "Ed's home." His white teeth showed as Leroy smiled. "I heard all of the excitement. There was a special on desert life on the television. Since that is my doctoral research area, I thought I would watch it. I figured it would be best if I stayed out of the way." "I appreciate that. We were moving Beth's father into the clinic and his wife into Beth's room. It was a rather traumatic experience for them both." "I can understand that." Leroy sat there for a moment before adding, "You are worried about Ed, aren't you?" John smiled, "It's hard to say how he'll react to having a long term visitor. Of course, you don't know everything that goes on here. I'm sure you have some questions." Shaking his head, Leroy stated, "Do I ever have some questions." "Ask away." Leroy stated, "I guess you and Ed have relations. Am I right?" "Yes, we do." Frowning, he asked, "Are you expecting me to have sexual relations with you?" John laughed as he answered, "You are a guest here. You can ask anyone you want if they are interested in sleeping with you. Only one rule, no means no. If anyone asks you to do something you aren't comfortable doing, just say no." "You're serious about that, aren't you?" "You better believe it. If someone says no and gets pushed into something they don't like, they'll be up on rape charges before they knew what hit them." John's serious tone of voice emphasized the seriousness of his statement. Leroy thought about it. "You don't know how much that makes me feel better about being here." This revelation surprised John. "Why?" "Well, I was afraid that you had invited me here only to have sex with me." "Why would you think that?" Leroy licked his lips nervously. "Well, the first night I was here, a woman and man came here to have sex, but they aren't part of your family. It was like you expected them to go to your room with you." John blushed as he thought back to that night. He answered, "Actually they came here to have sex with us. We didn't ask them to come here, they wanted to do it to thank us for all of our help. It's very embarrassing to be faced with a room full of women demanding to go to bed with you." "Oh, I didn't realize that the desire was on their part." "Well, you don't have to worry about us taking advantage of you." Afraid of how his question would be received, he tried to think of a nice way to ask it. He finally blurted out, "Why did you take me in?" "At the accident, you were more concerned about the woman in the car than you were for yourself. We knew that the accident left you stuck in the middle of nowhere so we invited you in. If you had been begging to be helped before her, we'd have helped you there and then left you at the hospital." "I only did what was right." John laughed as he said, "You were injured. The most selfish part of person can come out at that time. Sad, but true." Leroy asked, "So why all this importance about Ed talking to me? I don't understand." "He will ask you some questions. If he likes your answers, you can stay." "What will he ask me?" Leroy was shocked that one person had that much influence. He couldn't believe that John would rely that much on the word of a single person. John answered, "I have no idea. I wouldn't worry though." Leroy got a lump in his throat as he realized that if Ed desired it, he could end up on the street in front of the house with nothing. "You wouldn't?" "Nope. I wouldn't. Ed's a good guy." "Why thank you, John," stated Ed. He smiled as he stripped and jumped into the pool. Coming up, he turned to Leroy, "You must be Leroy. I'm Ed." "Right. Nice to meet you, Ed," replied Leroy nervously. Ed laughed as he took in the man's expression. He said, "You're scared to death of meeting me. I bet you're afraid you'll end up on the street when I say I don't like you. Right?" "Right," stated Leroy with a little resignation. He added, "I hope you'll let me call a cab first, though." Both of the men in the pool laughed at his answer. Ed splashed John and made a mock mean face. Ed stated, "That's for making me out to be some sort of ogre. So, how do you like it here in our home?" "I like it a lot. It's very peaceful. Everyone is calm and tranquil. I almost feel like I'm in a monastery." John laughed and retorted, "A monastery with naked people walking around and having sex all of the time." "Sounds like a bordello to me," stated Ed. He added, "I heard that you haven't been in bed with anyone since you got here. You must be horny as hell by now." "A little." He was actually extremely horny, having to go to his room and jack off several times a day. Watching Sarah walk around naked was driving him crazy. Ed laughed, "I'd say a lot. I'm sure that Cathy or Sarah would be interested. You might ask them." Leroy was rather taken aback by the statement. "Does that mean I can stay?" Looking at Leroy, Ed stated, "You wouldn't want to hurt us, would you?" A puzzled look flashed across Leroy's face. "Of course not." Ed shrugged and asked, "You aren't in financial difficulty such that you'd sell us out, are you?" Indignant, Leroy bluntly stated, "No I wouldn't sell you out." "So you can't imagine a scenario in which you'd do us any harm." "Right." A good-natured laugh rolled out of Ed as he splashed John. John sputtered, "What was that for?" "You've got yourself a hiking partner." John splashed him back. Ed sputtered, "What was that for?" "Having too much fun at Leroy's expense." John's lopsided grin confused Leroy, but made Ed laugh. Turning to face Leroy, Ed stated, "You can stay." John swam to the edge of the pool and lifted himself out to sit on the side of the pool with his feet dangling in the cool water. He stated, "Ed is a human lie detector. You can't hide the truth from him." A doubtful Leroy challenged Ed to prove it. A smile lit Ed's face as he realized that he had a chance to prove his abilities with a new test that he had designed. He had Leroy pick a number between one and a hundred. Once Leroy picked a number, he was to tell it to John. Ed instructed Leroy to do everything he could to deceive him while he tried to identify the number. In seven questions, Ed told Leroy the number although Leroy had lied several times and told the truth a couple of times. Leroy was convinced that he couldn't prevent Ed from getting the truth out of him. Ed climbed out of the pool and sat next to John. Ed asked, "Out of curiosity, may I ask you a very personal question?" Leroy shrugged his shoulders. "Ask, I might choose not to answer." Ed laughed at the answer. He asked, "Have you ever had sex with a man?" "No, I haven't," replied Leroy. He discounted a circle jerk as actually having sex with another man. He added, "I've never really thought about it." "Fair enough," replied Ed. He stood up and walked over to the towel cabinet. He was almost there when he turned to John and asked, "Do you want a towel?" Standing up, John answered, "Sure." The towel flew across the room. It was deftly caught by John. Both men dried off and threw the towels into a bin next to the cabinet. John's only went halfway in. Ed laughed as he said, "I should have bet you on that one!" John chuckled. "Not with you standing right next to it and me all the way over here." "Let's go into the living room and relax." John stated as he picked up his robe. Ed followed suit and picked up his clothes. They carried them into the living room. Leroy followed along, unsure if he had been invited. On reaching the living room, the men sat down. John and Ed sat on the couch and Leroy in a chair across the room. Ed stated, "Mrs. Hayes is rather reserved. I don't know how she's going to take living here with us naked half the time." Leroy stated, "Maybe you should get dressed then." John shook his head in disagreement. "This is our home and that's how we do things here. I hope that it won't upset them, but I don't want to change how I live for them." Ed stated, "Isn't that a selfish attitude?" "Perhaps. I don't know how long they are going to stay here. When they move into the new house, they'll be over here frequently. I don't think it is reasonable to have to see who is here or who might come over, to be able to relax in my own home." "Actually that is fair, but have you talked to her about it?" asked Leroy. He felt that she should have a chance to decide for herself if she should be exposed to that. He had been very shocked when Sarah showed up naked the first time. "Okay, we'll get dressed and call her over here to have a little chat," replied John. He realized that he sounded a little short when he put it like that. He relaxed and added, "I didn't mean to sound so awful." Ed smiled. "And when we are done, maybe the three of us can go upstairs and watch the sunset?" "You bet." Leroy was surprised to be included in the invitation. He piped up, "Great." John stated, "Ed would you like to get Mrs. Hayes while I arrange for a nice cheese and fruit tray for us to snack on while we are entertaining her." Ed nodded and started getting dressed. John went to the intercom and dialed Marguerite. He arranged to have a platter of sliced cheese and fruits delivered to the informal living room. Marguerite also suggested that she throw in a fresh pitcher of iced tea. John thanked her and then got dressed. Ed had finished dressing by that time and left to get Mrs. Hayes. Ed returned after a few minutes with Mrs. Hayes. John greeted her, "Mrs. Hayes I would like to introduce you to Leroy. Leroy, this is Mrs. Hayes." Mrs. Hayes nodded and said, "Nice to meet you Leroy." "It's a pleasure to meet you." Noting the cast, she added, "It looks like you've been injured recently." "Yes ma'am. I was in a car accident the other day. John helped me out and has been kind enough to offer me a place to stay until I can make arrangements for a new car." Mrs. Hayes smiled, "Well, you might want to visit my husband. He was run over by a car about six weeks ago. Maybe you can teach him how to be a better patient than he has been." Leroy laughed as he replied, "I'm not sure that I can. I've been like this for three days and I would kill for a chance to go swimming in the pool next door." John said, "don't worry, it will get better once they decide the wound has healed. They'll put you in a new cast and you'll be able to take a shower, at least." "I've just about had it with sponge baths." The comment brought a blush to the cheeks of Mrs. Hayes. John noticed and was about to tease her when Marguerite came into the room with the tray of snacks and the pitcher of iced tea. John poured iced tea for everyone while they piled small plates with cheeses and fruits. After a few minutes of activity, everyone was seated again. John broke the silence. "Mrs. Hayes, a small problem has come to my attention about which I need to talk to you." Ling and Kelly drifted into the room. From the look on John's face, they knew that something important was being discussed. The two women looked at each other as they each realized the subject under discussion. They seated themselves. Leroy looked around nervously and suggested, "Maybe I should leave." Ed stated, "No, you should probably stay. You need to hear this as well." "This is our home and I know that our rules may seem a little strange to you. We live according to one major rule. If it harms none, then do it." Leroy asked, "What does that mean?" "Good question. It really means that if someone is doing something and it harms no one, then you have no right to complain about it. If they are doing some task very ineffectively, all you can do is offer advice. You can't demand that they do it your way." John explained. Kelly added, "In a way, it is much more restrictive than the ten commandments. It means that you can't be critical of other people. It means that you really have to think about the consequences of your actions. Will your action ultimately lead to someone getting hurt? After living that way for a period of time, you find that you become a much more deliberate person." Mrs. Hayes stated, "No problem. I can live with that rule." Ling stated, "It's much harder to practice than you would think." "You bet. If someone comes out dressed up like a clown, you can't really comment." Leroy realized the full complexity of that rule. He had more or less lived according to that rule his whole life. "The second rule is that a persons room is sacred and only they can allow people to enter." Mrs. Hayes stated, "Now that is a rule I can live with." Kelly smiled as she realized that Mrs. Hayes didn't appreciate the full scope of the statement. She clarified, "That means if you want Sarah to clean your room, you have to let her in and wait until she leaves." "No problem." "The third rule is that the front of the house is clothing mandatory while the back of the house is clothing optional." Mrs. Hayes stated, "Oh my." Kelly added, "that rule applies to guests as well. You can walk around naked in the back of the house as much as you want. No one will say a word." Remembering her reaction to Sarah, John stated, "Now Sarah is a confirmed nudist. She walks around naked as much as she can. Basically, all of us are naked in the pool room and in the informal living room." Kelly stated, "Us girls usually go to the top of the building to sunbathe in the morning. It's our time for girl talk and guys aren't allowed. You're free to join us, Mrs. Hayes." Ed stated, "We usually go to the top of the building and watch the sunset." Looking around the room nervously, Mrs. Hayes stated, "I'm afraid that I'm very uncomfortable with people walking around naked." "I'd say that you are offended by it," stated Ed with the calm assurance that he understood more than others. Unhappy, she admitted, "Yes, it offends me." "I am very sorry to hear that. Perhaps with time you will get used to it. However, we can not change our lifestyle for one person. I am sure that you can understand that." Resigned to the situation, she said, "I understand. It doesn't mean that I have to like it, but I'll deal with it." Later, John, Ed, and Leroy sat on the roof watching the sunset. John rattled his ice tea class. Dissatisfied with the quantity of ice remaining, he added two more ice cubes from the ice bucket. With another rattle, he then refilled it with tea. Sitting back he sighed, "Ed, you have no idea how much I missed our time out here." "I know. I missed them too." "By the way, congratulations on breaking that case in LA. You made the national news." Groaning, Ed stated, "Those news reporters are a bunch of jackals. I had to hide out in the hotel for two days before they gave up. Are you working on anything interesting?" "I wouldn't call it interesting, I'd call it ugly." Leroy looked over at John. He had no idea what John was doing when he wasn't around. "So what is it?" "Looks like a bunch of adults got together and formed some kind of club. A couple will have a child. When the child is about three, they are sent off to live with another couple as a sex toy. The kids stay with a couple for about six months and then they are sent on to another couple. The kids never know who their parents are." "They are swapping children?" asked Leroy. He couldn't believe parents would do that to their own children. "Even worse. These kids are being kept in basements. They never interact with anyone other than in a sexual situation. They are not being educated or given any life skills. Once they get too old to be of interest to these pedophiles, they get dumped on the street." Ed stated, "How do you know this?" "A couple was caught giving away a photograph. When they investigated the incident, they found out that the kid in the photograph wasn't theirs. Things got messy and they made no progress on it. I got involved and consequently, we've identified about seven other kids that have been through the process. We've got police artist sketches of the perpetrators. We should be able to wrap it up in a week or two." "I'm impressed. What's the key you are using to track down the other members?" "Their private telephone books and telephone records." Leroy was shocked, "How could anyone do that to their own kids? I just can't imagine it." "I don't know. I look at the twisted morality of this country and I wonder at times. A film in which more than a dozen people get chopped up by a man with a chainsaw is rated R. They show limbs falling off, blood gushing from slit throats, and cannibalism without social outcry. Yet, if they show a cumshot in a film, then it is rated X. They want to put two people who love each other in jail because they are of the same gender. They get sentences that are almost the same as for murder. Two men loving each other can spend more time in jail than a guy that holds up a convenience store with a gun." "Amen to that brother," replied Leroy. Ed laughed as he said, "I think we have someone here that shares our opinion." ------- Chapter 13 A large crowd was gathered in the meeting hall talking to each other and generally having a good time. A month ago, the same gathering would have been split in their opinions about John Carter. Today, they were much more united. The council of elders had come up with a gift that was much more acceptable to everyone. Almost everyone in the tribe had contributed to it in some fashion. Linda Redman stood in a corner looking around nervously, thinking that this was the big public ceremony; the one in which she would be given to John Carter. She couldn't help but worry that she had made a mistake in choosing this course of action. The past month had been spent with her grandmother learning the old ways of the tribe and she hadn't had much time to think about this day. Now that it was here, she was scared. The Carter Clan entered the meeting room as a group. John went around the room meeting people and introducing his family. He was careful to keep the relations correct among the Native Americans. Grandparents, parents, and children formed significant links among the people. His family felt the same as John; it was important to respect that which other people valued. When the gathering was finally called to order, they had met everyone present. As William Redman made his way to the podium, a silence fell over the room. He stated, "Several years ago, my grandson said there was a white man that I should meet. He told me this white man traveled with a wild cougar. This man treated all people with respect. I told him that no white man such as that existed." "A moon later, my grandson came back to me. Again, he told me that this white man was someone that I should meet. I said okay that I would meet this white man. I waited to hear back from my grandson. My grandson told me that the white man would meet with me when the time was right. I had expected this man to make an appointment with me in the manner of white men. He did no such thing." "Many moons later, my grandson tells me that this white man had gone for a walk and that he might be coming to meet me. I went to a ceremony to walk with the spirits. As I waited, this white man comes walking out of the desert in the company of a cougar. He greets me in the old way; waiting patiently for me to notice him and meet with him on my terms. He brought tobacco." "He joined me in a spirit walk, but went his own way to meet with his Gods and Goddesses. Even in the spirit walk, he showed proper respect. He paid for the walk with a great price, loosing his cougar companion. He did not complain. He only said, great magic requires a great price. Having walked with the spirits many times, I know the truth of that statement." "He told me that he wanted to help my people regain their culture. I distrusted this man, expecting him to suggest that we build a cultural center. He told me that our culture is not to be taught in a building, but must be done in the desert. He did not tell me how to solve our problem. He asked me to identify a solution and he would help finance it." "I met with others from the council of elders and we came up with a radical solution that would help the young of our tribe in dealing with the world outside the reservation and yet instill a strong cultural understanding. We chose to do this for all tribes and not just our own." "I did not expect this white man to fund such a major undertaking. He funded it without question and added more money so that all Native Americans could attend free. I asked him what price we would have to pay. He said that a strengthening of the earth spirit was all he asked." "I respect this white man. His word and his deed are one. The Native American College was opened without any interference or influence by him. We graduated our first class of students this year. Many of them have returned to their tribes to continue with the old traditions and to help us deal with outside forces." "There are many Native Americans that want to get a different education than our college could provide. This white man gave us a fund that we can use as we wish. A council of tribal representatives met and chose to fund our students to continue their education. Now our children and grandchildren can become lawyers and doctors." "He learned of a rift within the tribe in which he played a major role. He came to the council of elders to ask for our wisdom on how best to heal this wound. He did as all our people should do when they have a problem; he came to the elders and asked for their advice. He listened to our words and saw the wisdom in them. He did as we suggested." "His actions and treatment of the tribe has earned our respect. Today we honor him although he has not asked for any honors. Oh behalf of the tribe as a whole, we present him with this work of tribal handcraft." A young man unveiled a beautiful hand-woven picture decorated with handmade trinkets in various locations and styles. It was gorgeous and John's mouth dropped open. Linda Redman was taken completely by surprise. She had just worked up her nerve to present herself to John. When they unveiled the gift, she was shocked and dismayed. As time went by, she was angered that they had not taken her offer to be the gift to John. Her plan had been ruined. John went to the podium and turned to face the people gathered. He stood silently for a minute and then stated, "I am greatly honored by this gift. I see that many people have contributed to its creation with considerable love and care. This is the greatest gift that a people can give to a man. I thank you for this great honor." John looked off to the horizon as a trance-like state fell over him. To those well versed in the ancient ways, John began to glow. His voice came strong and echoed through the great hall. "I speak to all those who serve the earth. Druid and Native American walk separate paths to the same destination. It does not matter how the earth is served, only that it is served. Let us recognize and respect the contributions that each make." "There is an entire planet to heal. There are waters to clean, air to purify, and plants to grow. The healing has begun, but the earth spirit is weak. The Druids shall clean the water, purify the air, and grow plants. The Native Americans shall strengthen the earth spirit." "The paths we walk are long and the journey shall take time. Our warriors must be strong and diligent. We can not be discouraged by slow progress. Spring comes but once a year and it shall take many springs for the earth to recover." "A new college, the Druid College, shall open in two years. It shall be free to all those that chose to walk the Druid path. It shall look to the Native American College for guidance like a child looks to its older brother. It shall not challenge the Native American College; it shall compliment it." John's voice reverberated through the hall with an unnatural power. "I speak as Grand Druid giving voice to the words of the Gods and Goddesses. As I have said, so shall it be!" John returned to himself and smiled. He stepped away from the podium as the people watched in a state of awe. William Redman had seen John surrounded by sacred animal spirits and had also seen shadow figures standing behind him. Others had seen the animal spirits. John joined his family as the Chief of the tribe rose to the podium. Having talked from that position many times in the past, the Chief was seldom unable to rise to the occasion. Now, he stood there for several minutes seeking the proper words. Finally, he stated, "As he has stated, so shall it be!" The people applauded. He added, "Let's eat!" The assembly broke up into small groups that moved to the tables piled with food. The most common subject of conversation was the second speech given by John. Those who had seen more than just John standing at the podium described what they had seen to those who had seen only a man. The consensus was that his Gods and Goddesses had chosen to speak to their people. One young lady of the tribe had watched the speech with eyes that saw only the man. Her plans had been ruined while her desire for John had grown. Approaching John was the hardest thing she had done, now she had to do it again. She came to him and stated, "I want to talk to you." Smiling at her, John stated, "We will talk, but now is not the right time." Walking away, he left a very frustrated young lady behind. She stood there staring at him in shock. Ling and Kelly came to her and led her away, stating, "John knows what he is doing." Plates loaded to over flowing, John and Ed settled down at a table. A middle age couple sat down at the table with them. For several minutes, nothing was said while the people at the table ate their food. Finally, the woman broke the silence, "It is a nice thing you are doing for Linda. She knows her heart, but is afraid to follow it." The husband stated, "I was against her doing that. It was not right." John looked at the husband and stated, "I plan to ask William if I may date her." "That would be okay. It leaves you both with choices. She can choose to follow her heart. You can choose to follow yours," grunted the husband. A sly smile came over Ed as he said, "Yet, it bothers you that he is a white man." The man looked at Ed for a moment. He started to say something, then reconsidered. He stated, "You want the truth." "Yes." "It bothers me," stated the man. Then he added, "I'm not sure that John Carter is a white man." Waiting for the man to finish his statement, Ed watched the thought processes flit across his face. The man finally added, "I'm not sure that you are a white man. There is something different about you both." John stated, "we are just men." "Perhaps that is it." The meal was great, good solid food served in quantities intended to fill one's stomach. John finished his meal and then looked across the room at William Redman. He waited until William had finished his meal. He stood and walked over to William. He waited until William asked him, "John Carter, you wish to speak to me?" John removed a carton of cigarettes from a pocket and handed it to the old man. The action drew attention from many in the room. John stated, "William Redman, I come to you as John Carter the man. I talk to you as Grandfather of a family." Across the room, Kelly nudged Linda and asked, "What is John doing?" With considerable surprise, Linda watched the exchange between John and her grandfather. Her mouth opened as she watched John follow the old ways. Smiling, William Redman asked, "What can this grandfather do for John Carter, the man?" "I wish to date your granddaughter, Linda Redman." William Redman frowned and then stated, "It is customary to bring a gift for the family." "I have brought a truck and five Fusion Batteries." Linda watched the exchange in shock. John had brought her grandfather a truck just to date her! After her month with her grandmother, she had come to understand a lot more of her culture. She understood that John had just paid a high personal price just to date her. William Redman looked thoughtful and then stated, "You have brought much" "She is worth it," replied John. Smiling at John, William looked over at Linda. He stated, "You have my permission to ask her for a date." "Thank you, grandfather," answered John using the common honorific. Linda turned to Kelly and asked, "Did you know?" Ling smiled kindly at the other woman. "Of course we knew. We've worked all week planning this." Putting a hand on Linda's hand, Kelly stated, "He isn't dating you to determine if you will be his wife. We are all dating you to determine if you will be our wife." Linda looked at Ling and Kelly in a new light. She had not thought of being with John as being with them as well. They were a mystery to her. She never had a chance to talk to them before. She wondered if she could love them as she did John. John came over to where Linda was seated. Ed joined him there. His medallion was warm. John faced Linda and asked in a loud enough voice to be heard throughout the room. "Would you be kind enough to come for dinner at our house tomorrow night?" Linda was aware of the large number of eyes watching her. It was not just the Carter Clan, but half the tribe was watching as well. She knew she wanted to answer yes, but she feared that she was not brave enough to answer as her heart directed. She took a deep breath and started to answer, but stopped before any words came from her mouth. A subtle sound reached her ears. She listened carefully, not quiet believing her ears. Tribal members were whispering, "say yes." She blurted out, "Yes." A wave of relief spread through the room. The Carter Clan smiled. John stated, "I will be by to pick you up at seven. We shall put you up in our guest room until you decide that you want to leave." Demurely, she answered, "I'll be ready." While the women discussed the mechanics of the date with Linda, John left the table to examine the gift. It was a lovely piece of work and he decided that he would hang it in the formal living room where all guests could appreciate it. William Redman came to John and watched as John examined every aspect of the gift. John turned to William stating, "This shall occupy a place of honor in my home." "It has captured the feelings of the tribe." John stated, "Come with me and let me show you the truck." The men went outside to the parking lot. There, a brand new red pickup truck was parked. John proudly presented William with the key. William walked around the truck and examined the bed. There were five boxes containing Fusion Batteries. These large batteries were capable of powering an entire house. William stated, "These are quite magnificent. They will provide power to many of our public buildings." Looking over Williams head, John asked, "And how many of these would I have to give you before you actually used one for yourself?" Laughing, William replied, "More of them than even you can afford." "So be it. I will say this, you can tap off the Fusion Battery in the truck to power many things around the house." Shaking his head, William said, "you are a tricky one." Parking his jeep in the garage, John went around the car and opened Linda's door. Taking her hand, he led her into the house. They were met by Cathy, "Allow me to get her settled into her guest room. Bob is getting her luggage and will bring it up shortly. Until then, why don't you get the rest of the family together." Linda looked at John, who smiled and nodded. She was led away by Cathy who would program the lock to her door. John went to the back of the house searching for the rest of the family. He found them all and Leroy gathered in the informal living room. He stated, "Linda is here." Ed said, "Before we go to the dining room, there is something that you need to know. Kelly informed me of it right after you left and we have been discussing ever since." "What?" "She's a virgin," stated Kelly. She and Ling had taken Linda shopping for some outfits for the next few days. The only clothes that Linda had were blue jeans and the women had wanted to make sure that she would have a dress. In the process of shopping, Linda's entire history of dating, or rather her lack of a history came out. She went on, "She has never even had a date, so be very gentle with her." "Oh," replied a stunned John. No wonder she had gone about this like a schoolgirl. She had no idea what she was doing. He had never slept with a virgin before and the prospect scared him. He asked, "What about the size of my equipment? I'll tear her up inside." Ling stated, "She probably lost her hymen riding horses, so that might not be a problem." "I'll be sure to take it easy," replied John wondering how he should proceed. The entire group went into the dining room to wait for Linda. John sat pensively wondering how to deal with Linda. He finally decided that he would do as he always did; wait to ask politely when the mood seemed right. If the mood never seemed right, he would never ask. Cathy arrived and told them that Linda was changing her clothes and would be down in a few minutes. The men laughed aloud at the news and relaxed considerably. When Kelly gave John a look as if to ask what he had found so funny, John stated, "We'll be here a half an hour." Ling stated, "It is not easy to look gorgeous!" Turning his head to look directly at her, John stated, "Really? I have never seen you look anything other than gorgeous. That includes when you are clothed, naked, with and without makeup." Kelly snorted, "Men are so easy to please. We don't dress for you. We dress to impress other women." Nodding her head, Ling stated, "If we dressed for men, we'd only wear half bras, garter belts, stockings, and very high heels." Winking at her, Leroy stated, "I don't know. I get hard every time Kelly comes home from work in her nurses uniform." Everyone at the table laughed at that. The teasing went around the table. It was interrupted when Cathy came in the room and leaned down to talk to Ling. After a quick whispered conversation, Cathy left. Ling stood up announcing, "Our guest is having a few difficulties. I'll be right back." The men looked at Kelly as if she could tell them what the problem might be. Kelly shrugged her shoulders signaling her lack of an educated guess. The conversation turned to everyone's plans for the next few days. John was taking Leroy to the school to sign up for classes the next day. Ed was heading out to San Francisco to examine some stolen gems that had been recovered. They were hoping that he would be able to tell where the stones had originated so that they could be returned to the proper diamond exchange. Kelly was finishing her last day at the hospital tomorrow and would start fixing up a clinic in town the day after that. With a look of pity on her face, Ling returned to the table. She sighed, "The poor girl will be out in a minute." Kelly asked, "What was the problem?" "She's never put on stockings. She ruined every pair we bought her." All eyes turned to the stairs as Linda came down them and entered the dining room. She wore a turquoise blue dress that came down to just above her knees. The dress had a deep cut neckline that promised views of her small breasts, but didn't deliver on that promise. She wore real silk stockings, compliments of Ling. Wobbling slightly on heels, she tried to move gracefully to the table. The men all stood up. John moved around the table to help her to her chair. He broke the silence, "You look gorgeous." A deep blush, darkening her reddish hue, spread over her face and chest. She shot a thankful look to Ling and Kelly while murmuring a soft, "Thank you." After she had taken her seat, John stated, "Linda, I would like to introduce you to Leroy. He's a guest staying here until he can get his situation straightened out. Leroy, this is Linda. She's my date for the evening." Leroy nodded to her. "It is a pleasure to meet you at last." "Thank you. It's nice to meet you too." Marguerite came out of the kitchen wearing a maid's costume much to the surprise of everyone at the table. She stated, "Tonight's theme is seafood. We shall start with boiled shrimp and crab claws served with a delicate cocktail sauce. A small garden salad will be served to help cleanse the palette for the next course. This shall be a collection of fried shrimps, fish, clams, oysters, and chicken. Baked and fried potatoes shall be served as a side with a nice garden medley of steamed garden vegetables. The next course shall be crab cakes and lobster crepes. The desert tonight shall be Cherries Jubilee with homemade ice cream." Smiling, Ed asked, "What's with the French Maid costume?" "Uh..." Marguerite blushed. "I made a deal with Bob that if he cranked the ice cream maker, that I would wear this outfit tonight. I started a little early to motivate him to crank harder. Now I need to go back and motivate him a little more while I'm cooking." For some reason, this caused a giggling fit in Linda. She found it extremely funny that the cook would motivate someone to work that way. She tried to imagine it in the café that she worked in and the idea of the male cook wearing an outfit like that to motivate anyone to work was too funny. She couldn't contain it and burst out laughing. Kelly asked, "What's so funny?" Hardly able to contain her mirth, Linda answered, "I was just imagining the cook where I work dressing like that. He has a big stomach that hangs over his belt and usually has a three-day beard. He looks a lot like one of those over weight wrestlers on television." Everyone at the table laughed at the image that it conjured up in their minds. Sarah came out of the kitchen delivering huge plates of shrimp and crab claws. The shrimp were still in the shell, so this was going to get messy very quickly. The value of such a start was that it was hard to remain inhibited when everyone around you are peeling shrimp and cracking claws. The juices will fly and shells will fall where they may. As they started on the meal, the conversation resumed. Ling surprised everyone when she announced that she was going to start working at the police office starting in two days. The conversation centered on the expected changes in the town. Kelly with Dr. Hayes was going to open a free clinic in town. John talked about opening a library in town. Linda asked, "I thought that you were rich. Why are you working?" "I'm a scientist. I enjoy doing that," replied John. He added, "Everything else that I do is unpaid, but serves a greater purpose." "I'm a security specialist, but I haven't had a chance to contract out my services. I miss working in that field, so I'm going back to work," answered Ling. "I'm a nurse. My greatest satisfaction in life comes from helping someone that is in pain." Ed stated, "I like rocks. The fact that I get paid for it is just an added benefit." Leroy whistled, "You are the busiest people that I've ever met. I don't see how you could possibly ever be bored." Linda looked around the room and wondered how she ever thought that she could possibly fit into John's life. She looked off into the distance wondering if she would be going home after dinner. She sighed at the comparison between her and them. The melancholy that had settled over Linda was noticed by Kelly. She asked, "Linda, suppose that you had no worries about bills or anything else. What would you do with your time?" Linda sighed, "I really don't know." Ed laughed, "This reminds me of a conversation that I had when I was still a cowboy. John asked me what I would do if I had a day with no responsibilities. After a lot of questioning, I admitted that I would spend the day looking for rocks. Guess what I do now? I look at rocks for a living. Amazing isn't it?" Linda looked at Ed in surprise, "I didn't know you were a cowboy." "Oh, yes. I was also a mean low down bully that terrified half the town and fought the other half." As the meal progressed, Linda relaxed more and told more about herself. It was soon time for desert. The creation of the Cherries Jubilee was an exciting treat, particularly when the brandy was lit. It was while eating that the big question arose. Leroy asked, "So how does your marriage work?" John stated, "Well, if we choose to include someone into the family we allow them to buy shares. For this decision, it has to be unanimous. All other family decisions are made based on a vote by shares. We have limits on how many shares a person can buy based on share purchases by others." Kelly stated, "We only offer shares to someone that demonstrates a willingness to live by the rules of the family." Linda asked, "How is that demonstrated?" Ling stated, "You live here and follow the rules of the house." Ed added, "You also make love to every member of the family." "I guess that would mean that I would have to sleep with John and Ed if I wanted to join the family," asserted Leroy. John smiled, "That's right, but I would state it as making love rather than sleeping." "I would have to make love to Ling and Kelly and Ed?" asked Linda. "Yes." Ling addressed the real concern, "If you loved the whole family, then it wouldn't be difficult. If you truly loved me, then you would want to make love to me. If you only liked me, you could possibly have sex with me. However, if you didn't care about me at all, you wouldn't do anything with me. Marriage is about love. In a group marriage, it is about loving the whole group." Looking at Leroy, Ed asked, "You've lived here for more than a week. What are your feelings towards us?" "I'm beginning to develop deep feelings towards all of you, but I'm very hesitant about having sex with a man. I don't think that I would pass that test." Kelly laughed, "John and Ed danced around the issue for more than a year. So don't worry that after only a week of thinking about it that you aren't sure." ------- Chapter 14 The weather this day was unbearably hot. Kelly trudged up the path that was described in John's hiking journal. Sweat ran down into her eyes. Her tee shirt was soaked and stuck to her. She knew that she was filthy. There wasn't anywhere to bathe at the campsite. The insects were active and bothered her tremendously. She had to force herself to walk faster than she liked, but she had to be in the clearing by noon. She was tired, not having slept the night before. The woods were full of noises at night. They had kept her awake. She had huddled in fear that a bear or something else would come out of the dark and attack her. She hated hiking and she detested camping. Going to the bathroom was an adventure that she didn't want to repeat. Squatting in the woods was not her idea of lady-like behavior. She had worn shorts despite John's advice. Her legs bore scratches from the brush that she had to walk through in places. She knew that she should have taken the advice given to her by John and Ed, but she had been angry by their refusal to accompany her on this trip. They had both stated that it was a private journey and had to be taken alone. The last words of John rang in her mind, "Imagine making love to the force that creates a tornado or an earthquake. Even the gentlest breeze requires so much force to create it on the scale that it exists. The Gods and Goddesses seldom deal with an individual. When they do, their raw strength is overwhelming. When they make love to us, it feels like rape only because it is so forceful." She muttered to herself as she walked, "All this effort just to see this Goddess. She asked me to come to her. Why can't she live in a five star hotel like a lady?" She never noticed when the environment around her changed. Her first clue that she had arrived was seeing the naked woman under the tree smiling at her. Her breath caught in her throat at the sheer raw beauty of the woman. The woman gestured for her to follow and then went deeper into the woods. Spellbound, Kelly followed her. She didn't notice the plants, the bugs, or the temperature. Her eyes were locked on the woman in front of her. The woman reached a small clearing and turned to face Kelly. Kelly braced herself for an attack, but the woman only crossed her arms. She asked, "What do you think of my appearance?" "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," replied Kelly. "Yet, you showed my body no respect last night and this morning," replied the woman with anger. "What do you mean?" "You pulled up plants, stepped on delicate and rare flowers, destroyed the habitats of animals, and left trash in your camp site." "Huh?" replied a bewildered Kelly. "Who do you think I am, little girl?" "The Goddess?" "Of what?" retorted the woman. Realization bloomed over Kelly. "You are the life on this planet?" "I am even those nasty little bugs that you've complained about so much." The Goddess seemed to grow. She stated, "Let me show you what you have done to me." She pointed to an extremely small blemish on her side. Kelly looked closely and could only see the slightest of discoloration. It wasn't even noticeable. She decided that the woman was just vain. "You can't even see it." The Goddess grew larger. She changed from a beautiful woman to an emaciated old hag. Her breasts lay dry and flat against her chest. Her nipples scared. Slashes and scars were common over her whole body. Major portions of her body were burned. Her hair had thinned making her look almost bald. Her voice reverberated through the meadow, "This is what you and your kind have done to me." Not having anything to say, Kelly stood mute. The damage had been extensive and Kelly realized this was not vanity on the part of the Goddess. She also realized that she had just angered a very powerful force. "Why did you come?" Kelly swallowed, "I came to tell you that you aren't taking proper care of John Carter." "You are upset about the death of that woman." Hearing Beth referred to as that woman caused her anger to boil up. "You let her die before her time." "That is true." "You think you are caring for John by killing off his loves before their time?" "She would have died of cancer in three months time after suffering from it for two years. I used those few months of life to keep the cancer away. For John, I chose quality of life over quantity of life for her." Kelly stood there in shock; her anger abated. She had many female patients that had died of breast cancer over the course of her career. It was a horrible death and one that she would spare another even at the cost of several months of life. "Would you do the same to me?" "Yes, John needs you healthy for as long as you live." "Why do you explain yourself to me?" asked Kelly. "If you are to serve me, you must love me in all my forms from this," she changed from her old crone appearance back into the beautiful woman, "to this." "I am to serve you?" "Either serve me or die," replied the woman flatly. She added, "All those who come to my glade come to serve me. If you renege on that promise, then you shall die." Kelly swallowed, as she knew that it wasn't a threat, but a fact of dealing with the Goddess. "I will serve you." Kelly had no idea how it happened, but one second she was standing and the next she was flat on her back with the woman rubbing her cunt over her mouth. Her clothes were gone. She automatically opened her mouth and extended her tongue. The woman rode her mouth with force. The hair around her cunt rubbed Kelly's skin raw. The ride seemed to last for hours. The woman came, flooding Kelly's mouth with her fluid. The juices poured out of her like water from a pitcher. Kelly choked as she tried to breath and swallow at the same time. The woman didn't stop her ride until she had come two more times. When the woman got off Kelly's face, Kelly breathed a sigh of relief thinking her ordeal was over. She screamed in surprise and shock when the woman shoved her entire hand into Kelly's cunt. With her fist, she started to fuck Kelly fast and hard. Kelly screamed as she felt her insides tear and bruise. After an hour of it, the woman thrust a hand into Kelly's ass. Now she worked both hands in a vigorous rhythm. Kelly's scream increased in volume. Hours later, her body betrayed her with a gigantic orgasm. As she thrashed around on the ground, the fisting continued. Her private parts were tender and sore. Hours later, she experienced another orgasm. This one was bigger than the first. She tried to escape by crawling backwards, but the woman stopped her by climbing back onto her face. Now her face was being scrubbed by the woman while her cunt and ass were being fisted. Kelly would have screamed, but the cunt pressed tight against her lips prevented any sound from escaping. Her body betrayed her a third time. Her orgasm was the greatest yet. She screamed, getting a mouth full of the woman's juices as she obtained yet another orgasm. Coughing and trying to swallow while her body thrashed in orgasm nearly killed Kelly. She lay flat on the ground, unable to move. Unaware of how much time had elapsed since her orgasm she stood. Looking down at her body, she was not surprised by the fact that there was blood. What amazed her was the sheer quantity of blood. That it had come from her vagina and rectum was not in doubt. She looked up to see the woman pointing to a path. She could see at the end of the path a gold medallion. The woman pointed to the medallion. Kelly staggered to the path and began to walk down it. She came to a small clearing with a baby crib in it. She went to the crib and looked at the baby inside. It was a small infant, crying softly. She checked the diaper finding it a mess. She changed the diaper, but the baby continued to cry softly. She looked around and found a small baby bottle filled with milk. She tested it by shaking a drop on her wrist. It was the perfect temperature. Picking up the infant, she proceeded to feed it. The baby hungrily sucked down the milk. When the bottle was empty, she put the baby to her shoulder gently patting it on the back. The baby made a loud burp and spit up on her naked skin. She gently rocked it back and forth until it fell asleep. She took the child and started up the path. Along the path she found a man laying on the ground. Maggots were eating his pale dead flesh. Next to the man were a shovel and a blank tombstone. She set the baby down to the side where she could watch over it while burying the man. Swallowing hard to keep from vomiting, she went through his pockets searching for identification. She found his drivers license in his wallet. Picking up the shovel, she began to dig a grave. The work was grueling, as the soil was hard packed. Her bare feet could not push the shovel into the ground. Her progress could be measured in single digit cubic inches. She struggled to dig it the proverbial six feet deep, but stopped at four. She dragged the body to the grave and put it in by rolling it. She threw up at the touch of the maggots on her hands. She began the much quicker task of covering it. She scratched the man's name onto the tombstone using the shovel. It wasn't perfect, but it was sufficient. She wiped her hands the best she could on the grass. They were still filthy, but she could live with just a little dirt and grass stain. She went to the baby. It was still sleeping. She picked it up and carried it on down the path. The infant felt like it weighed a ton now. She almost stumbled across another man lying in the path. She knelt down and saw that this man was still alive. He was naked. His skin was cold to the touch and he was shivering. His fingernails and lips were blue. He was in a severe state of hypothermia. She looked around and found nothing to cover him. She set the baby beside the man. She lay atop the man to use her body heat to help warm him. She started to rub her body against his; using not only her body heat, but also whatever friction she could generate to warm him. She moved against him like that for more than an hour. His body temperature began to rise which was accompanied by a corresponding rise in his cock. She continued to move against his body, his cock trapped between his body and hers. His eyes fluttered open as his cock spewed forth his semen. She stood, belly covered with his cum. The man left without saying a word. She picked up the baby and moved further down the path. The path twisted and turned. She suddenly found herself by the tree with the medallion. She reached up and grasped it. The baby turned into the woman and took the medallion from her hand. She placed it around Kelly's neck. She stated, "I shall give you three gifts: a baby sired by John, the experience of death, and the ability to heal. It is time for you to rest." Kelly woke under a tree feeling refreshed and whole. Her clothes were new and her body healed. She stretched appreciating the grass under her body. She stood and got her bearings. Looking around, she took in the trees and the bushes. A path went in the direction that John had said she should take. She headed down it, stepping around plants in her way. She took her time, watching her step as she walked, and stopping occasionally to appreciate the view around her. She wondered how she had never noticed the beauty around her. She entered town, somewhat sad at leaving the forest behind. She walked to the café where she was to meet John and Ed. Entering the café, a nice elderly woman greeted her. It took Kelly a moment to remember that she had been at her wedding and several more moments to remember her name. She smiled, "Martha, it is so nice to see you again." Martha smiled in greeting and then said, "John has been in here every day for the past two days wondering if you had come. He'll be around in a few minutes. He's off visiting his friends in the area." "Thank you," replied Kelly. She realized that she was hungry. She moved over to the counter. Sitting down, she asked, "Could I have a hamburger, fries, and a shake?" Martha smiled, "No, you have to go to a café for that." "Oh, okay." She sat there confused wondering why she had asked for food here. She looked up to see Martha laughing and then realized the joke. She laughed, "Gosh, I feel like a blond!" "You look a little dazed. By the way, did you get a boob job?" Looking down at her chest, her breasts looked huge. She remembered how Ed's cock had grown in size when he had gotten his medallion. She wondered what other changes had occurred. She said, "I guess you might say that." She looked at the medallion. On both sides were representations of the female genitalia. Written around the picture were the words, "Life, Death, and Healing." She drifted off in thought, unaware of the plate of food and milkshake being set in front of her. She was brought back to the present by a hand falling on her shoulder. She turned in surprise to find John and Ed standing next to her. They sat at the counter, one on each side of her. Ed stated, "I like the new look." John stated, "It looks like a D cup to me." Kelly looked at her husbands and smiled. "Can't wait to get your hands on them?" "Either my hands or my lips. I'm not particular." John laughed at the blush. Kelly began to absently eat her lunch. She was in a slightly shocked state, unable to concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes. When she finished the meal, she sat there staring blankly ahead. John and Ed watched her carefully. John turned to Martha, "I'm afraid that she's a little out of it yet." Ed added, "I think we had better take her home and let her recover there." Martha looked worried, "Is it drugs or something?" Ed stated, "She became a Druid today. It can be a very traumatic experience and has physical changes." "Oh, it is the result of some magic ritual?" John stated, "She met the Goddess." The two men helped Kelly to her feet and guided her out of the restaurant. They took her to the car and guided her to the seat. Once seated, she came out of her mental wanderings. She turned to John and looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I saw her as she has become because of us." John nodded his understanding. He countered, "She has begun to heal though." Kelly returned to her thoughts. She stared out the window watching the trees as they drove to the sporting goods shop. John pulled into the parking lot. He turned to look at Kelly. She looked back at him blankly. He got out and helped her out of the car. Entering the store, they were met by Catherine Sullivan. They were the only ones in the store. Catherine looked at Kelly. Kelly came to her senses, "I serve the Goddess." Catherine went to the back of the store. She was gone for several minutes and then returned carrying green robes and a small wooden box. She handed them to Kelly. Kelly accepted them automatically. She mumbled, "Thank you, Catherine." Catherine examined Kelly for a moment with concern. She stated, "I have never seen one in as bad a shape as her." "She went there to challenge the Goddess." "Really?" asked Catherine. She shook her head at the thought of attempting to challenge them. She changed the subject, "She's the fourth one in here this week. With her, it makes two for the Goddess, one for the God, and one for the Two-sided One. I expect more, too." John nodded at the figures. He was pleased. He said, "That is good. Our numbers are growing." Catherine looked at Kelly again. "You better get her home." "I agree. I'll lead her out of here now. Call me when you have the final numbers." "Will do, John." Leading Kelly by the hand, John took her back to the car. She sat down and promptly fell asleep. John looked at Ed, who just nodded. John started the car and drove them home. Kelly slept through the entire drive. John and Ed exchanged looks several times, but chose not to talk. Neither of them understood what had happened to Kelly, but knew that her state of mind wouldn't last forever. John pulled into the garage. Kelly did not wake. While Ed held the door open, John carried her into the house. They were met at the door by Linda. She took one look at Kelly. She stated, "bring her into my room. I'll watch over her until she wakes. Everyone else is busy and you two look tired." John carried Kelly upstairs to Linda's room. Linda opened the door and stepped out of the way. John barely managed to get her to the bed before his strength left him. He set her down a little less gently than he had intended. Linda looked down on the woman in her bed and adjusted her so that she was in a more comfortable position. She gently placed a pillow under her head. John waited for her in the front room of her quarters. Linda came out, "She has changed." "Yes, that often happens after dealing with the Gods and Goddesses. What she is doing now is a little different from anything that we've seen before." Ed came up the stairs and stood outside the room. He stated, "Watch her carefully. She's liable to be very horny when she wakes up. If you need to, get Leroy to take care of that if you can't find any of us." Linda shyly asked, "Speaking of horny, when are we going to get together John?" "Soon," replied John. He wanted to wait until she felt comfortable with him and with herself. She still ran to the front of the house anytime that she saw anyone naked. The day would come when she joined them naked in the swimming pool; he knew that would indicate the time had come for them to sleep together. He added, "For now, just enjoy yourself and relax. We have all the time in the world." She frowned, wondering if he felt that she wasn't good enough for him. She could understand that since she didn't feel she was good enough for him. She decided that after Kelly woke, she would hit the swimming pool and stay there although they might be swimming nude again. John left with Ed after taking one more look at Kelly. Linda went to the bedroom and proceeded to undress Kelly. Kelly had dressed in a tee shirt and shorts. The hardest part had been removing the hiking boots. Modesty forbade her from removing Kelly's panties. It wasn't hard to remove the rest of her clothes from the woman. It was amazing that it didn't wake her. Watching Kelly sleep, made Linda feel sleepy. She went into the other room and undressed. She put on her nightgown in privacy. She got on the bed with Kelly and put an arm around her. In just a few minutes, she fell asleep. It was two hours later that Linda woke as strange sensations surged through her body. She was amazed to find herself pinching her very erect nipples. She ran her hands down her body and encountered a head between her legs. As she woke up more, she realized that something was going on that she didn't understand. It took her a minute to realize that it was Kelly's head between her legs. Kelly was licking her pussy and the sensations felt great. She grabbed the head and held it there. Kelly worked her tongue in Linda's pussy. When she felt Linda's hands on her head, she increased her pace. She began taking little licks at the clit. Linda started thrashing about while making little screams of pleasure. Kelly ran her hands up to Linda's breasts and pinched them hard. Linda's screamed out her orgasm. Kelly kissed her way up Linda's body, stopping to suck on her breasts. Linda's orgasm continued throughout. Suddenly Kelly realized what she had done and sat up in shock. She had not intended to do that to Linda. She put her head in her hands. In anguish, she cried out, "What did I do?" Linda slowly came down from her orgasm. She saw Kelly crying and sat up beside her. Putting an arm around Kelly, she asked, "What's the matter, Kelly?" Kelly turned to her in anguish. She cried, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that to you. I didn't mean to rape you. You must believe me that I had no idea what I was doing." Linda, unsure of what had happened to her, only knew that she had enjoyed the sensations. She gently rubbed Kelly's back, "Kelly, Ed warned me that you might feel very horny when you woke up. It's not your fault." Sobbing, Kelly stated, "Your first time should be with John, not me." Sighing, Linda countered, "I don't think John is interested in me. I'm not really good enough for him." The woman's comments struck a nerve in Kelly. She turned to Linda, "He's waiting for you to be ready for him. He doesn't want you to go to bed with some sort of legendary John Carter. He wants you to go bed with John Carter the man." Linda hugged Kelly tightly and kissed her on the cheek. With tears streaming from her eyes, "I'm so frightened. I'm afraid that I won't know what to do to make him happy." Kelly laughed as she retorted, "You did just fine a few minutes ago." "Huh?" "All that any lover wants to do is to please their lover. When you had your orgasm, I felt so great. For your first time, that is all you should expect to do; enjoy every sensation." Kelly remembered her first time. It had been in the back of a car with a kid that had no idea what he was doing. It had been a miserable experience. Since then, many considerate lovers had showed her how to make love better. She added, "after your first time, Ling and I will be more than happy to show you the ropes on how to please a man." "Don't I have to know how to move and stuff?" Kelly held her close. She answered, "He knows you are a virgin. You will want to be on top where you can control the entry. You will want to squat over him and slowly lower yourself onto him. He will hold his cock so that it is positioned correctly. Once you have taken him, your body will know what to do." "Why would I want to be on top?" Linda was confused. She had heard about the missionary position and she had always understood that she was supposed to lie down and the man mount her. "John is very big and will not take an aggressive position. He wants to make sure that he doesn't hurt you, so he'll let you control the entry. You can go as slow or as fast as you want." Kelly smiled at Linda as she said with envy, "You are so lucky to have him as your first man. He is the gentlest lover I've ever had." Linda sighed while saying, "I'll need some time to think about it. Okay?" Kelly laughed and replied, "Why do you think John is waiting?" "Oh." "I hope that I didn't ruin things for you by taking advantage of you while you were asleep." Kelly still felt very bad about her actions. "Don't worry, I think I enjoyed it." "You think?" Linda blushed. "I didn't really know what was happening. It felt great and I don't think I've ever screamed like that before. For most of it, I thought it was a dream." "I hope that I didn't turn you off women." Linda kissed Kelly on the lips and cupped her breasts amazed at the size of them. She answered, "It is such a strange feeling, but I wouldn't worry about it if I were you." Kelly stood up. "I had better get downstairs and let everyone know that I'm alright. Maybe I'll see you at the pool?" "I'll be there in my bathing suit. I'll try not to run away this time," replied Linda. She watched as Kelly gathered her clothes. Kelly kissed her and then left the room. She looked at the two bathing suits that she had brought. One was the one-piece that covered everything very well with frills that destroyed the line of the body underneath. The other was the bikini that Kelly and Ling had bought her when they had gone shopping one day. She was very tempted to try the bikini, but reached for the one-piece. She removed the nightgown and put on the swimming suit. She entered the pool area slowly, hoping on one hand, that no one was there and hoping on the other, that everyone was there. No one was in the poolroom. She took a deep breath and entered the water. After ten days here, it was heavenly to swim in the pool. She began to slowly take laps. If Linda had looked at the door from the informal living room, she would have seen everyone watching her. After a minor discussion among family members, it was decided that Ling and Kelly would go in first. After a while, the three men would join them. Ling and Kelly entered the poolroom together talking about the amazing changes that had occurred to Kelly's breasts. Linda stopped swimming and watched them come to the side of the pool. Both women stripped and jumped into the water. Ling swam over to Linda asking, "How are you doing tonight?" "I'm fine," replied Linda with a blush. She felt that the other woman knew what Kelly had done to her earlier. Ling continued, "This is the first time I've seen you in the pool. I was wondering if you didn't know how to swim." "I love to swim. I'm just a little scared to be around naked men." Ling splashed some water at her and laughed. She said, "Don't be scared. They are the same guys when they have their clothes on, only you get to see all the good bits." Kelly splashed a lot of water at Ling as she laughed. "Good bits? That makes them sound small. They are grand parts. Now that gives the right tone to match the equipment." Linda giggled in embarrassment. She wasn't use to the women discussing the private parts of the men. Even when her grandmother had discussed relations with men in the old days, she had been embarrassed. She hadn't realized that people made love in the same room with others as they slept, hoping that they wouldn't make too much noise to wake everyone. John, Ed, and Leroy came into the poolroom. John smiled. "Well, Kelly. You're looking a lot more alert than earlier." Kelly answered, "I slept well. Now I'm raring to go." The men undressed and entered the pool. Linda had turned away, but peaked out of the corner of her eye at John as he removed his underwear. She felt ready to bolt, but when she turned around she realized that the water tended to distort things enough that she wasn't too uncomfortable. She noticed Ling and Kelly making eye contact and smiling. She watched as they slowly swam in the direction of Ed. Ling swam behind him while Kelly swam in front. They both stopped at the same time. Kelly sent a huge splash of water in Ed's direction. He laughed as he spun around to avoid getting it in his face. His laugh was cut short when he was hit with Ling's even larger splash. Linda was pulled into the splash war as the men teamed up against the women. For the next thirty minutes, there was continual splashing as each side tried to gang up on one member of the other team. She was laughing so hard that she almost choked when the men suddenly turned on her. They finally quit, exhausted and happy, to leave the pool and lounge on the chairs next to the pool. She was laughing as Leroy was telling some story about his day at the University when she realized that she had been sitting with five naked people for the past hour. She took the moment to look at the private parts of each man. She was shocked at how much bigger John and Ed were than Leroy. She leaned over to Kelly and, in a whisper, she asked, "Aren't black men supposed to have bigger dicks than white men?" Kelly burst out laughing, much to the embarrassment of Linda. Ling asked, "what's so funny?" Kelly, still laughing, answered, "I was just asked if black men aren't supposed to have bigger dicks than white men." Leroy laughed, "I thought so too. I ripped up my membership card to the NAACP first time I saw their dicks." ------- Chapter 15 The sunset this evening was particularly dramatic. The sky was painted in hundreds of colors. The men sat in the lawn chairs watching the sky as the colors changed while the sun dipped below the horizon. No one said a word until the sun had dipped completely below the horizon and the colors had faded. Ed stated, "Can you imagine, Kelly is pregnant?" John shook his head. "I'm just as surprised as you." "Are you as happy about it as I am?" John laughed, "Yes, maybe more. It's long past time for the patter of little feet to be heard around the house." The most excited person in the family was Ling. She was the one that was busy fixing up a nursery and searching for a nanny. If Ling was to have her way, this child was going to be a prodigy. Leroy smiled, "I'm surprised by how much Ling is enjoying this." Ed laughed as he agreed, "She's definitely enthusiastic." Even Linda was getting into the action. She was busy making outfits for the child. She was also making clothes for Kelly. John understood why she would chose to make the clothes. Of everyone in the house, with the exception of Leroy, she was the poorest. John doubted that she could afford to buy a present. John stated, "It's fun watching Linda working on the clothes for Kelly." "I've been wondering what kind of present I could get for Kelly. I'm not really able to afford much," stated Leroy. He felt embarrassed by his financial situation. He only had enough money for school. It was a sad fact that working on a doctorate meant you were poor. "It doesn't matter what you get her, so long as it is from the heart." From the heart, that phrase was used so often around this house that Leroy could hear it in his sleep. He had spent many hours looking at the gift from the tribe. John stated that it was from created from the hearts of individuals from the tribe. Leroy knew that it was priceless. John looked over at Leroy for a moment. He asked, "So Leroy have you given any thought about joining the family?" The smile disappeared in a flash. The real question was if he was ready to have sex with John and Ed. He answered, "Do you want to know the truth?" "Always." "I've given it a lot of thought, but I just don't know if I can do it." The two men looked at each other. They decided it was time to give Leroy a little more experience with the ugly side of life. John stated, "I have a trip to make in two days. Ed is going to come with me. I would like you to join us." Leroy was surprised by the request. "Where are you going?" "Denver." "What's in Denver?" "We are going to arrest some people there. I have to warn you, it is liable to be dangerous." Ed added, "These are really nasty people. We are going to be the last ones into the building, so the danger isn't that great." Leroy thought about it for a moment. "Why do you want me along?" John took a deep breath, "We want you to watch our backs. The people we are working with do not know us. We want to make sure that when we yell charge, we aren't the only ones running forward." Leroy shrugged his shoulders, "Sure." Three days later, John, Ed, and Leroy were crouched behind a van in front of a middle class suburban house. There were all kinds of cats in the area, some with collars while others were clearly feral. John watched the cats as they kept their distance, yet remained close enough to reach them within seconds. All three men were wearing headsets with microphones. John checked his watch and waited until eleven o'clock. At that time, he whispered into the microphone, "Go!" They stood up and walked around the van. Two men were already at the front door. One man shouted, "FBI, we have a warrant." The other man kicked the door. As it burst open, the men ran inside with weapons at the ready. John and Ed followed them with Leroy bringing up the rear. The room they had entered looked like any room in a middle class neighborhood. The couch and chairs faced a color television. It was a picture of complete normality. John stopped at the center of a fabric-covered wall when he noticed a cat sitting there. It was a cat from outside. He waited there with Ed while the FBI searched the rest of the house. Leroy wandered around the living room looking at the décor. The agents came streaming into the living room. One turned angrily to John, "There's no one here and nothing to suggest that anything wrong is going on." John pressed the center panel of the fabric covering the wall. Much to the other agent's surprise, the panel swung open giving access to stairs down to a basement. Everyone stood looking at the stairs for a moment. John stated, "If I'm not mistaken, it is down there." The FBI agents ran down the stairs. As a shot rang out, Leroy stepped in front of John in an attempt to protect him. The shot was followed by an answering volley. When it had quieted down, the cat left the house. John softly spoke into his microphone, "We need the nurses now. Call in an ambulance." The three men went down the stairs. The sight that greeted them was sickening. The room was filthy and smelled. There was a bed with camera's surrounding it. Pictures of children engaged in various sexual acts were hung up on the wall. Some of the pictures showed kids with kids, but the majority of pictures were of adults abusing the kids. One very large picture showed a man with his cock in the ass of a four-year-old boy. The boy's face was twisted in pain. The man in the picture was grinning excitedly. John and Ed stared in horror as a naked little girl about eight years old begged one of the FBI agents to leave the man alone. "I'll give you a real good blowjob if you are nice to my uncle. Would you rather fuck me? I've got a real tight ass, you can fuck it if you want." Leroy stared in horror as events unfolded around him. There was a naked boy about the same age making similar statements to one of the other agents. Leroy looked at the wounded man on the floor with handcuffs holding his arms behind his back. He was naked. Apparently, they had interrupted him while he was having sex with one of the kids. Next to him was a handcuffed woman crying about the treatment of her husband. She looked up at the people in the room, "Go on, fuck the kids. I know you want to. Just let us go." John looked at the woman in disgust. He walked around the room examining the walls. One region of wall looked suspicious. He tapped it. The wall swung open to reveal stacks of pictures and notebooks. John pointed to the notebooks. "Agent Mauz, the notebooks here should contain all of the records that you will need to bring down the rest of the ring." The agent went over to the shelves and glanced in it. Putting gloves on his hands, he picked up the notebook on the top of the stack. He opened it whistling as he read the contents. In awe, he stated, "This logbook contains everything they've done. It looks like there are at least two hundred members in this gang and at least three hundred kids being abused." He picked up one of the photo albums and shook his head. Inside there was a picture of each kid and a description of the types of sex they had been trained to perform. He looked up at John. "This is a catalog of kids." Ed went to the women and knelt down. "Are there any other hidden panels here?" She spat at Ed and answered, "No." He asked, "Is it along this wall?" "No." Ed pointed to the wall, "Gentleman, there's another secret panel here on this wall." One of the agents looked around the wall and found a seam. He hit the wall and the panel opened. The door lead to another room with cells. Most of them were empty, but there were two with a child in each one. These kids were even younger than the two in the first room. All of them were naked. Each cell had a simple pot for them to use as a toilet. The stench in the room was overwhelming. The nurses from social services came into the room and took charge of the children. One of the children in the cell was hungry. She looked at the nurse, "I'm hungry. Are you the one I'm supposed to fuck for supper?" The nurse stared at the girl in shock at the revelation that these kids had to perform sex in order to get something to eat. Leroy heard the news with disgust and walked away. This perversion of all that he held dear sickened him. His dad had often preached about evil, but he doubted even his father had seen such evil as this. He swallowed trying to keep the bile from rising. Even as the nurses were dealing with the kids, the kids in the main room were continuing to offer their sexual services. The little girl was lying back on the bed fingering herself and trying to look sexy. A nurse was trying to get her off the bed and into some clothes. Once the little girl understood that the nurse wanted her to get dressed, she stated, "Oh, I get it. You want me to wear a costume while I eat your cunt." The nurse looked at the men in the room and then fled the room with tears in her eyes. John went over to the little girl. He smiled, "Put on the clothes. You are getting a special treat. You'll get to eat without having to have sex with anyone. Today is a special day for you." The girl looked at John for a moment, "You aren't going to fuck me?" "No," replied John. "You don't have to do that any more." She frowned as she tried to make sense of what he was saying. She asked, "Am I going to a new aunt and uncle today?" "No, you are going to a safe place where you'll have food when you want it. You will never have to have earn your food by having sex." John handed her the simple gown. She took it and put it on. When John turned around, he noticed a video camera aimed at the bed. He examined it and frowned. John turned to one of the FBI agents in the room. "He was taping what was going on here. The tape is still running." The agent went to the video camera and shut it down. He stated, "Evidence." Leroy glared at the man on the floor. He wanted to hurt that man more than anything else in his life. The man on the floor saw his look. The man growled, "Hey nigger, I bet you'd love to fuck that little white boys' ass." If Leroy didn't have his arm in a cast, he would have kicked the man in the face. As it was, he only replied, "You better buy some Vaseline before you get to prison. Talk like that will have a line of niggers waiting for their turn at your ass." John smiled at Leroy and gave him a thumb's up sign. He saw how angry the man had made Leroy. He had been afraid that Leroy was going to react violently. Instead, he had only state a fact of prison life. John stated, "An ambulance is on it's way." Ed returned to the woman. "Are there any other hidden panels?" She glared at Ed, "No!" Ed turned to agent Mauz, "You will have to take this house apart board by board. There are still more secret panels hidden around here." Agent Mauz looked at John and Ed in awe, "You guys are as good as I was told you were." "It's a shame that we have to deal with monsters like these two," replied John. He added, "Thank God we have men like yourself working hard to protect us from them." Somehow, Agent Mauz found himself thanking John for his praise, "Thank you." John asked, "Can you take it from here?" "Yes, we can." "Good," replied John. He added, "I'm going to the hotel to take a shower and try to wash this filth off me. We'll be at the Federal Building later this afternoon." "Alright." The man shouted at the agents, "Leave us alone. We aren't doing anything wrong. These kids like being treated like this. They want us to fuck them. Listen to them begging for it." One of the agents looked like he wanted to kick the face of the pedophile. He moved as though he was going to kick a soccer ball. Another agent pulled him back shouting, "Don't do it. He'll walk if you do that!" Agent Mauz turned to John and Ed. "These kids only know one way to please adults and that is with sex. They're going to require years of treatment." "They need to be fed. They are used to getting food in exchange for sex. Feed them constantly. Make sure there is always food available for them. Don't worry if they get a stomachache, they need that more than any thing else right now." John sighed as he looked at the kids in the room. They were all dressed. The nurses had used his tactic to get them dressed. John, Ed, and Leroy walked up the stairs. The nurse that had fled the room below was sitting on the couch crying. Leroy put his hands on her shoulder and rubbed her shoulders and back. As he massaged her shoulders, he sang an old hymn. That and his touch eased her tension. She looked at Leroy, "How can such animals exist?" "You insult animals by comparing those monsters to them. The kids need some food. See if you can find something here to feed them. You don't have to go back down there." The nurse hugged Leroy, "Thanks." "You're welcome." The men walked out of the house. Leroy stopped outside the house and threw up onto the rosebushes. He wasn't embarrassed by his action. He turned to the other two, "I have never seen such evil in my life." John frowned and answered, "I have. It never gets any easier to deal with it. I leave feeling dirty just by having stood next to them." Ed nodded, "It's always hard when the victims are innocent children." Leroy wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stated, "They aren't innocent children anymore. They have become twisted by those sick bastards in there. Let's get the hell out of here." The radio came on when John started the car, but he turned it off preferring the silence. The men drove to the hotel without saying a word. Each man was trapped in his own recollections of the horror he had witnessed. They went straight to the room. Leroy was the first to take a shower. He left the bathroom filled with steam. His body was bright red. It looked as though he had tried to burn the stench of evil off his body. Ed went in next. He emerged from the bathroom five minutes later, bright pink from the hot water. John's shower lasted the longest. He had turned the temperature down to something that was reasonable. He used most of the soap washing his body repeatedly. Exiting, he found Ed and Leroy looking out the window at the people below. He joined them at the window and watched the people scurrying to their next appointment. John stated, "Most of those people will never find love. They will find someone they feel they can settle for. When they do see a person with whom they can share true love, they discount them if they aren't perfect." "They live empty lives according to rules they didn't make, but feel they can't question or break those rules. Then you see true evil and you realize that many of those barriers only prevent true love from developing. You can't love a fat person. You can't love someone who is poor. You can't love someone of the same gender." Ed sighed as he looked out the window. Leroy nodded, "I know what you mean now. I have just seen wrong and I will always know it when I see it." "The first time always hits you the hardest, but you never get used to it." Leroy went to his clothes and got dressed. He turned to Ed and John, "I'll be back soon." When Leroy shut the door after leaving the room, Ed stated, "He's gone to get a drink." John answered, "He won't drink it. He'll sit there thinking about what he has, what he can have, and what his alternatives are. He is at a crossroad in his life and needs to select a direction." Leroy returned an hour later. He entered the suite and sat down in one of the chairs. He looked over at John, "I wanted to get shit- faced drunk. I got down to the bar and realized that it wouldn't do any good." "I know." He continued, "That was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen in my life. Those people have no idea of what love is all about." Ed asked, "So what is love all about?" "Love is caring about others. It is about wanting them to be the best person they can be. It isn't about sex." A glance between Ed and John was followed by John stating, "That is what we believe as well." Leroy was silent for a moment, "Your family cares about each other very much. You support each other, particularly when things are tough. I have never seen so many healthy people." "Thank you." Leroy continued, "I've watched you with Linda. I can see that you would like to sleep with her, but you are waiting for her to be ready for it. You are waiting for her to care about everyone else in the family. She loves you and Kelly. She trusts Ling and she's starting to know Ed. You are also working to help her realize her full potential. She's starting to think about futures that she could only dream about." Ed nodded, "That's true." "It wasn't until I watched you with her, that I realized you were doing the same thing for me. Even today was an opportunity for me to share in your life and to be able to contrast what I saw there with what I see at your house." Leroy looked at the two men for confirmation of what he had stated. Reassured by their nods, he continued, "I would like to understand what you see in me that makes you feel like I belong in your family." John stated, "You care about others. You were more worried about the woman that was trapped in the car than you cared about yourself. You looked at those kids today and the treatment of them made you sick to your stomach. You comforted the nurse that couldn't handle the sight below. You didn't feel ashamed by throwing up afterwards. You are a good person and our family needs good people." Ed added, "You have a good sense of humor. You have lived in the house with us and haven't been critical of our lifestyle. When you did see something you didn't support, you only made a suggestion leaving it up to us. That was particularly true of the discussion with Mrs. Hayes about the rules of the house." "Do you love me?" "Yes, I do." John answered as honestly as he could. "Same here," replied Ed. He looked carefully at Leroy, "The real question is if you love us." Leroy looked thoughtful for a moment. "I've always considered love to be some sort of passionate emotion more akin to lust than like. I realized that the deep emotional bond that I have for all of you is love." John asked, "You have a problem, though." "Yes. I'm just uncomfortable with the idea of having sex with a man." Years of life as a Southern Baptist had established clear rules of right and wrong. Yet today, he had seen true evil. The other petty things paled in contrast. John stated, "When the family was formed, Kelly insisted on that point. At the time, Ed and I had very serious doubts. Now, I've come to accept that she was right. It does eliminate jealousy." The topic was still tough for Ed to talk about, but he added his observations, "We decided that sex between men was very different from the sex between a man and woman. When I just want to get off, I go to John. We don't do foreplay like you would with a woman. We just get straight to it." John stated, "I don't think that Ed and I have ever kissed. Yes, we do suck cock and take it in the ass. To tell the truth, I enjoy both of them." Nodding his agreement, Ed added, "When a woman is involved, it is a totally different experience. Usually, anything that goes on between us is really part of the foreplay for the woman. Kelly really enjoys watching men with men. Ling likes having threesomes where one of the people is getting pleasured by two people at once." Leroy listened to the descriptions of their activities with each other. In some ways, it helped him accept the idea. The hardest image to over come was kissing another guy. In other ways, it made it harder to accept. He sighed, "I just don't know." John laughed, "It's not like you have to make a decision any time soon." "Yes, I do." "Why?' Leroy stated, "I feel like I'm taking advantage of you and your family. I haven't contributed anything since I came." "You mean you haven't been helping Mrs. Hayes? I guess all those trips to Phoenix to pick out carpets, tiles, paint colors, and fixtures weren't contributing anything." Ed stated as he examined Leroy. "Of course, all those hours you spent keeping Dr. Hayes company while he was stuck in bed wasn't helping us. Let's not forget the fact that you're pushing him around in the wheelchair despite having an arm in a cast," added John. Ed nodded, "Oh, let's not forget that you've been helping Bob around the house when his neck hurts too much." "Well, I haven't improved life for you guys." "Really? I hadn't noticed that. I guess all those evenings watching the sun set together and talking about desert life didn't improve my quality of life." "Yes, I've really hated those discussions. I haven't looked forward to watching the sunset since you've moved in." The sarcasm in Ed's voice was unmistakable. "I didn't appreciate the fact that when the shooting started, you stepped in front of me." John laughed, "You might have gotten shot instead of me!" Leroy laughed. He stated, "Okay guys, I get the message." John and Ed smiled at each other. John asked, "Food?" After a consensus was achieved, John called down to room service. He ordered three steaks, one medium rare, one medium, and one medium well. Since he and Ed were still naked, they went into the bedroom so that Leroy could deal with room service. When the food arrived and room service had left, John and Ed joined Leroy in setting out the food. John looked at the other two and stated, "Burnt, ruined meat." Ed looked at the other two and stated, "Raw, you need to get the meat cooked." "You both need to learn moderation," stated Leroy. John and Ed laughed. He was the first person that had responded to their normal exchange with a joke. The plates had the required Broccoli and the famous fat French fries. John and Ed looked at the plate and laughed. When Leroy went to eat a French Fry, John held a glass while Ed filled it with iced tea. The look on Leroy's face when he bit into the fry was priceless. Ed handed him the glass of iced tea before he even had a chance to ask for it. After drinking half the glass, he looked at them accusing, "You knew they tasted like crap!" Ed laughed as he retorted, "The first time we ate one of those, we would have killed for something to wash it down with." John stated, "You wouldn't have believed us if we had warned you." Leroy looked at the plate and sadly said, "The only thing worth eating is the steak." "That's why we are having it for lunch instead of dinner," clarified Ed. He laughed, "We had this for dinner the first time he and I had sex. We woke up in the middle of the night hungry as hell." John laughed as he added, "believe me when I say that his cum tastes batter than that fry." ------- Chapter 16 Ed sat naked on the chair in his living room. His hands held tightly onto the arms of the chair. He sat with his head tilted back as he looked at the ceiling with half closed eyes. His legs were spread as wide as the arms of the chair allowed. His massive erection pointed to the ceiling. Leroy kneeled on the floor between his knees, holding Ed's cock in his hand. He stared at it for a moment and then leaned forward. He hesitated and then licked the head of the cock. It was not as bad as he had expected. He leaned forward and put his mouth over the head. The male scent and saltiness surprised him. He wrapped his hand around the base of the cock. He took more of the cock into his mouth. His tongue worked around the head. He tried to remember how he liked to have his cock sucked. He started moving the hand up and down the length of the cock while his tongue worked on the head. He knew he was doing it right when Ed moaned and rocked his hips forward. Leroy picked up the pace and increased the pressure of his hand. He started sucking harder. Ed moaned as the sensations brought him closer to climax. Leroy worked even harder. Ed could have held off longer, but decided that Leroy didn't need to end his first attempt with lockjaw. He stated, "I'm going to come!" Leroy locked his lips around the head of the cock and pumped it with his hand. Ed's orgasm caught him by surprised as load after load of cum shot into his mouth. Not know what else to do, he swallowed. The taste of his cum was salty and bitter. Leroy felt an urge to gag, but held it down by swallowing. Leroy continued to work on Ed's cock until Ed brought his hand down to stop him. His cock had become too sensitive. Leroy sat back and said, "Wow, that was different." Leroy bolted upright in bed, sweat made the sheet stick to his body. It took him a minute to realize it had been a dream and not a reality. He decided that his earlier conversation with Ed and John must have influenced his dream. It had been so real. His cock, erect, wanted to tell him that he enjoyed the dream, but his emotions were conflicted. He got out of the bed and went into the sitting room of the suite. He paced the room still naked, enjoying the feel of the air over his body as he moved. His erection bobbed as he moved, but slowly he lost it. He checked the other two rooms of the suite discovering that Ed and John were still gone. Ed was still out shopping while John was at the FBI taking care of the last few details of the arrests this morning. Tomorrow, they were going to arrest all of the others in the case. He sat in a chair and stared across the room. It took him a moment to realize he was seated in the chair Ed had been using in his dream. He knew it was time for him to make a decision regarding making love to men. He sat back and relived his dream. The first time through, he thought about the sensations as he had experienced. Nothing about it seemed that horrible. The second time he relived his dream, he looked at himself as if he were a stranger. He wondered if he could like the man who had just done that. He realized that he could, he liked Ed and John knowing they both did that. The third time he relived the dream, he thought about he had felt about himself. He wondered if the self in the dream was any less a man than what he was today. He looked down at his erection, realizing that it was telling him that he was turned on by the idea. John stopped to watch a man playing a saxophone on the street. There was a hat on the ground with a few coins in it. The man was actually quite good and John appreciated the break after all of the ugliness that he had seen that day. He fished in his wallet coming out with a five-dollar bill. He set it in the hat under a few coins to make sure that it didn't blow away. The man bowed with his whole body in thanks without missing a note. John walked away as an urge to move toward a mall began to develop. There was an outdoor café with all of the tables filled. He walked over to it and looked around. A waitress faced an angry looking man. John frowned as the man pulled out a gun. The man shouted, "Bring her out here! Do it now or I'll start killing people." The waitress backed into the restaurant. The patrons started to move as though to flee. The man shouted, "Don't move or I'll shoot you." John approached the man slowly with his hands held out to his sides, the walking stick carried easily in his right hand. Several dogs trotted over and crouching, let loose with low growls. More dogs continued to arrive, some dragging leashes. The restaurant patrons started backing away terrified by the man with the gun and the feral dogs. The man stared in horror at the collection of animals promising great harm. John stated, "Put the gun down." The man stared at John, fear threatening to remove all ability to reason. John's calm voice cut through the building haze, "You and I need to talk. When you put down the gun, then we can sit down and drink a little iced tea while we talk." The man, as if hypnotized, set down the gun. John moved the gun out of his reach and then motioned to the man to sit down. The dogs disappeared as quickly as they had come. A siren broke the silence that had settled over the area. Patrons stared at John as he calmly went to the waitress station and poured two glasses of iced tea. He returned to the table where the man was seated. John handed a glass to the man and sat down. He stated, "You are at a crossroad in your life." The man stared at John as his words registered. He was at a crossroad in his life. If he didn't get help, he was going to end up dead. All he had wanted was to be loved by his girlfriend. He mentally corrected himself, she was his former girlfriend. His obsessive desire to control her had caused her to flee. "You have many different paths that you can walk and it is time for you to pick one." The man mumbled, "Yes, sir." John noticed the policeman coming out the door of the restaurant. He held up a hand to the policeman to have him stop. The FBI badge in his hand brought the policeman to a complete halt. John stated, "Choose." The man stood up shakily. He held his hands behind his neck and slowly turned around. His voice shook as he stated, "I surrender, Officer." The policeman quickly handcuffed the man. John stated, "His gun is here on the table, Officer." Several more police officers arrived. They spread through the outdoor café taking down statements of what they had observed. All of the reports were identical. Finally, the lead detective, Inspector Kosta, arrived. He was an overweight bald man that looked as if he had seen too much ugliness in the world. He interviewed John personally. At the end of the interview, the detective stated, "Any requests Agent Carter?" "Yes, take good care of him. He's confused, but his life is about to undergo a radical change. Don't put any obstacles in his way that might prevent him from becoming a good man." The detective looked at John for a full minute. He asked, "What are you doing here?" "Putting the finishing touches on a case," answered John. They had the names and addresses of all the participants in the child- swapping ring. He added, "You'll hear more about it tomorrow." "I know who you are, John Carter. It must be a big case for you to be involved." John looked surprised, "How do you know me?" "You cleared up a couple of missing person's reports that I had been assigned when you cracked that white slavery ring." "Oh," replied John. He was always amazed when police recognized him for his work in the past. The white slavery ring had covered a large number of cities in the western United Stated. Many police had come to know him by his roll in that raid. The detective shook hands with John and started to walk away. He stopped and turned back, "Can you tell me about the dogs?" John shrugged, "They came to help me. That's all." The detective shook his head and walked away. John sat at the table and finished his iced tea. The waitress that had been confronted by the gun wielding man came over to the table and sat down. She was joined by another waitress. The first waitress stated, "I'm Joye and this is Valerie." John nodded, "Pleased to meet you. I'm John Carter." Joye nervously stated, "I just wanted to thank you." "You're quite welcome. I was glad to be of service." Valerie sobbed, "That was my ex. He's been stalking me. I think he would have killed me today if it weren't for you." John took her hand and said, "He's not going to bother you any more." "I don't believe that." John picked up a small piece of bread from the ground and held it in his hand. A small sparrow came and landed on his thumb. It took the bread in its beak and then flew off again. John looked at Valerie, "He's not going to bother you any more." Valerie looked at him in wonder. She averred, "I believe you." John looked at her for a moment and then stated, "You are at a crossroads in your life and it is time for you to make a decision." She looked at him in surprise. "What?" John made eye contact with her. She couldn't shake his intense stare. "You have three choices. You can do nothing and continue to attract that kind of man for the rest of your life. You can decide to have nothing to do with men from now on and live alone for the rest of your life. You can seek help and learn why you are attracted to men like that. Once you have sought help, you will have additional choices." She swallowed heavily and slumped into her chair. She whispered, "Do I have to choose now?" "Yes, you must choose now and act on that choice before sunset." "I have to work until nine tonight." John turned to Joye, "Get the manager please." The manager came out and thanked John for his help in diffusing the explosive situation earlier. John stated, "Valerie is taking the rest of the day off. I shall cover her shift for her." The manager stared at John and then looked at Valerie. He was used to waitresses that didn't show up. In fact, Valerie had been the source of many problems in the past. He realized they were attributed to her ex-boyfriend. He stated, "Get out of here Valerie. I'll see you tomorrow." Valerie thanked him profusely and then left. John looked at the manager, "Well, where are my tables?" The manager laughed, "Yeah, right. I can call someone. Don't worry about it." John nodded and said, "I do want to pick up the tabs of all the clients that were here. I appreciate the fact that none of them did anything stupid." The manager stated, "you don't have to do that." "I insist." John pulled out his platinum card and handed it to the manager. "It's going to be a couple hundred dollars." "Well, add a twenty percent tip to it for the waitress. She kept her cool." Joye stared at John. The manager took the card and went inside to ring it up. John smiled at Joye and asked, "How is your day going?" She laughed as she answered, "A few rough spots here and there, but I had a big tipper today." John smiled at her. "Go tell your customers. Have a nice day." The manager came back outside looking sheepish. John could tell that he had called in the credit card and found out who he was. The manager apologized, "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you, sir." John took back his credit card and signed the credit slip. He nodded at the manager. "No problem. You have a nice place here." "Thanks, sir." John left the restaurant and headed in the direction of the hotel. He looked around and noticed that a police car was discreetly following him. Undoubtedly, the detective had mentioned to them that he was to be protected while he was in the city. He laughed at the situation. Opening the door to the suite, John began to feel much more relaxed. He stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him. He looked in the living room. To his surprise, Ed was seated in a chair looking as if he had just had an orgasm. Leroy, kneeling on the floor in front of him, wiped cum off his lips. John smiled, "Darn, I'm too late to watch." Ed laughed. "Too bad!" Leroy looked around embarrassed. John walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. John stated, "I hope it wasn't too bad." Leroy answered in a voice that was too loud, "No it wasn't bad at all." Ed grinned. "Good, because I enjoyed it a lot." John stated, "If you guys wouldn't mind. I'm rather hungry. Let's go out and eat somewhere." Ed jumped up, "Sounds great to me." Leroy stood up. His cock was at half-mast having wilted partially on John's arrival. He looked down at his cock and answered, "Okay." As Leroy headed to his room to change, John called after him. "When we get back, we'll take care of your needs." Leroy smiled. "Sure thing." The men gathered in the living room. Everyone was dressed. They discussed what kind of food they wanted. They decided that they would go for seafood. As they left, John stated, "By the way, we are likely to have a police escort there." "Why?" "Well, had a little problem on my way home. I guess they want to make sure that I don't get hurt or something." Ed suggested, "I've got an idea. Why don't we have them take us there and back. They can join us for dinner." John broke out in a large smile and said, "Sounds like a plan to me." Leroy asked, "You are just going to invite two strangers to dinner?" John answered, "Well, they are going to be following us. That means, they will have to go where we go. While we are eating, they'll probably be out in their car waiting for us to come out. That has to be boring. Then they'll have to follow us back to the hotel. Why not make their lives a little easier for a change." Leroy shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't think of it like that." John went out to the curb and looked for the police car. It was parked fifty feet down the street. With a jerk of his head, he indicated that the others were to come with him. He walked up to the police car and tapped on the window. The two cops inside looked at each other. Finally the driver rolled down the window, "What can I do for you?" John smiled, "Well, we were thinking about eating seafood tonight. Since you are following me, it just might be easier for everyone if you joined us." The two cops looked at each other, knowing they had been made. The sergeant had told them to watch over John and to keep trouble away from him. The driver finally said, "Okay, get in the back." The three men squeezed into the back of the squad car. As John settled himself in the center, he stated, "Take us to the best seafood restaurant in town. Price is no object, but quality of food is." The partners discussed it quickly and then the driver pulled away from the curb. At a traffic light, a woman stared at the men in the back with single-minded intensity. Every one in the car noticed the attention. Leroy got a smile on his face and winked at John as he held up his hands as though he were cuffed. The woman's eyes got very big. When the light changed, the cars were quickly separated. Leroy laughed, "I just made her day. She's going to go home and tell everyone that she saw three criminals getting hauled away." There was a general laughter in the car. John asked the officer, "Hey, I know it is a crime to impersonate an officer of the law, but is it a crime to impersonate a criminal?" The officers in the front of the car chuckled. Ed asked, "If it is a crime to impersonate a criminal, then by impersonating a criminal you become a criminal at which time it ceases to be a crime and you cease being a criminal." "I've always said you should be a lawyer," answered John. The driver asked, "Who are you? I've never seen so many of the brass step all over themselves for someone before." John stated, "I'm John Carter. The gentleman on the right is Leroy and the other is Ed." The passenger stated, "I'm Harry Albertson and my partner is Jay Brown." Jay explained, "I've known Inspector Kosta ever since I joined the force. He never says anything nice about anyone. Today, he stated that you were a better detective than he could ever hope to be. So who are you?" Ed answered, "John's just a regular guy that shows up in the right place at the right time and does the right thing." Leroy swore, "Damn, some guy back there is stealing a Rolls Royce." Harry jumped and stated, "Must be the car theft ring. I'll call it in." The officers started to react, when John commanded, "Hold on, don't call it in. There's a car lot up there. Pull in there. Harry, I want you to use Ed's cell-phone to call the duty sergeant and fill him in the details about the car theft. Include the fact that they aren't to put anything on the air. If this is a car theft ring, they'll be monitoring the police radios." "Sounds good." "Here's what we'll do. We get two cars at the car lot. We'll take turns following the rolls until he gets to his final destination. We'll set up a three-way conference call and use it to get backup. We'll have to hurry." The driver pulled into the car lot. The cops got out and opened the back door so that the passengers could get out. The five men ran into the building, grabbed the manager, and explained the situation to him. In three minutes, they were back on the street in two cars racing to catch up to the rolls. The driver of the stolen car was cool and didn't speed or break any traffic laws. They took turns following the rolls, keeping in contact via the three-way conference call. The sergeant listened as they relayed details about the location of the car. The car finally pulled into a darkened warehouse. John noticed that there were watchers stationed around the warehouse, so he had them turn a corner before reaching it. John, Harry, and Leroy got out and looked down the street. The rolls had been in the warehouse for less than two minutes before a sedan pulled out of the warehouse. The driver got out and locked the door of the warehouse behind him. John watched as the driver then took off. He turned to Harry and stated, "He's stashed the car in the warehouse with people watching over the warehouse. We aren't going to be able to check it out without raising suspicions." Harry talked to the sergeant over the cell-phone. He decided that someone needed to stay behind to watch what happened. Harry stated, "We need to keep a person here to watch over the warehouse." John stated, "I'll stay here. I have an MRE in my pocket. Leave a cell-phone with me and I'll call you if anything happens. In the mean time, why don't you guys get something to eat." Leroy smiled, "And you expect me to face Ling if I leave you here alone?" Harry stated, "If anyone stays, it should be me." John shook his head, "No. You are in uniform. I'm perfect for the job. It's time for crazy John to come out." Confused, Leroy asked, "Who's crazy John?" John got a wild look in his eye and looked at Leroy. He stuck the end of his beard in his mouth and started chewing on it. "Are you an earthling? Sometimes, you can't tell. I know, I've been to space." Leroy looked at John as if he had lost his mind. "You've been to space?" "Yes, the Cronians came in their ship and took me to their planet. They're just like you and I, but they have a fixation on nipples. They don't have nipples. Do you have nipples? Nipples are good, you know. That's how we tell the difference between earthlings and Cronians. Let me see your nipples." Laughing, Leroy replied, "Okay crazy John. You can stay. I'll explain to Ling that you were replaced by aliens for a while." John pulled his cloak around himself and disappeared into the dark. The other two men got in the car and left quietly. John emerged from the darkness with dirt rubbed into his face. He rolled around on the ground getting his robe and cloak dirty. He picked up a stick and some leaves sticking them in his beard and hair. He sat down with his back to the wall and pulled out his MRE. He slowly ate it while watching the warehouse and the men across the street from it. He dozed off and on through the night. Each time he woke, he watched the warehouse. The men down the street were still watching the street for trouble. He knew he had not been spotted yet, but that situation could change before someone showed up at the warehouse to pick up the car. He planned his course of action for the next day. As dawn arrived, John performed his daily morning ritual of giving two drops of blood for the Gods and Goddesses. The men in front of the warehouse split. One walked down the street in his direction while the other walked away from him. He waited patiently for the man to approach where he sat. The man stepped in front of the alley where John sat against the wall. John noticed that a large number of rats were hiding just out of sight. John screeched, "Stay away from me. I won't go back with you!" The man stared at John, "Who are you?" "You're not taking me back to Cro 4." The guy looked around for a moment trying to decide if John was a problem. He asked, "What's Cro 4?" "You know very well that Cro 4 is the fourth planet around the star Cro." John cackled insanely, "You won't trick me this time, Cronian!" The man spat in the direction of John and continued to walk down the street. Ten minutes later he returned. John shouted at him, "Trying to sneak up on me! It won't work." "You're crazy, old man!" The man walked on past John. John watched him walk down to the location in front of the warehouse. The other man arrived from the other direction. They talked for a several minutes with the one man pointing in John's direction. A car arrived and the two men talked to the people in the car. After a short time, the car drove up the street toward John. He watched the car approach with trepidation. If he failed to fool them, he was likely to die. More rats appeared around John's position, all of them just out of sight. He stood up and assumed an old fashioned boxing stance. When the car stopped at the end of the alley, he shouted, "You're not going to take me alive, Cronian!" The men in the car looked at him, taking in the dirty robe, the twigs and leaves in his unruly hair and beard, and his dirty face and hands. One of the men came out of the car asking, "Hey, are you a cop?" John laughed maniacally, "I'm FBI." The man in the car got out and walked over to John. John shouted, "Get away from me, Cronian." The man laughed and asked, "How can I prove that I'm not a Croman?" "Show me your nipples. Cronians do not have nipples. I have nipples, very good nipples. Let me see your nipples!" The man's laughter grew even greater. "Nipples? You want to see my nipples." John got a very serious face, "Show me your nipples now or else!" The man went back in the car. John could hear him say, "That guys crazy as a loon. Nobody will believe a word that he says." As the car returned to the warehouse, John walked down the alley away from view. The rats all disappeared. He fished the cell-phone out of his pocket and hit the speed dial. The sergeant on duty answered, "hello?" "Hello, this is John Carter. A car has just arrived at the warehouse." "Okay, we'll send some cars over now." "Not yet, keep them at least four blocks away. I'm betting a couple of more cars will be here shortly." "Okay, we'll get them in position. We're using a code to tell our cars how to move into place." John stated, "I'll keep the line open. Let me check on what is going on." John looked around the corner and saw a large truck move to the warehouse. There was another car pulling up. John stepped back and spoke into the cell-phone, "The party has started. Time to bring in the cavalry." John waited for the police to arrive. It took about five minutes for a coordinated arrival to be established. Police cars arrived from every direction all at once. The warehouse was quickly surrounded. John stepped out and watched the officers run into the warehouse. Shots were fired. The men that had been watching the warehouse from across the street started to run in John's direction. John went over to where he had his walking stick hidden and retrieved it. The men ran down the street looking over their shoulder at the raid going on behind them. John stepped in front of them with his walking stick held horizontal. The men didn't even see it until they had run into it. Their feet flew out from under them and they landed flat on their back. A limousine pulled up beside John's position. Ed and Leroy got out. Ed looked at John, "Well, it looks like you had a rough night." John looked at Ed and Leroy, "It looks to me like you got less sleep than I did. Anything I should know about?" "Nah. Nothing outside the usual debauchery, you'd have been bored." One of the men on the ground attempted to get up. A quick rap with the walking stick put him back on the ground. A police car arrived. Harry and Jay got out and looked at the men on the ground. Harry asked, "Any problems?" "Nope. I just captured two Cronians." All of the men laughed. Leroy asked, "Did you check out their nipples?" Inspector Kosta, the detective from the day before, walked up. He looked down at the two men on the ground shaking his head, "Well, congratulations. They caught the whole gang. There was another stolen car in the truck." John shrugged, "I'm glad to hear that. We had better get over to FBI headquarters. Inspector Kosta, you're welcome to join us if you'd like." At FBI headquarters, Inspector Kosta listened in shock as the reports from the field arrived. He had figured that any case the John Carter was involved in would be big, but he had no idea how expansive this case was. As report after report of an arrest arrived, the true scope of the operation became clear. John sat back with a smile on his face as he thought about the number of monsters that were going to jail. They arrested almost three hundred adults and liberated just as many children from sexual slavery. Ed and Leroy worked with several of the other agents in organizing the reports. When the last report came in, Inspector Kosta stated, "Very impressive. I don't know how you do it. You captured a car theft ring and child swapping ring all in the same day." Agent Mauz added, "This operation today was entirely due to you, John." John yawned as he shook his head. "No, I had lots of help." Ed looked up at the clock and realized how little sleep John had over the past two days. He turned to John and Leroy to say, "I'd say it's about time we head home, wouldn't you?" "Sure. Let's go. I turn this operation over to you Agent Mauz." John turned to face at Inspector Kosta. "I'll give you one hint, never do your own paperwork." The laughter that came from Inspector Kosta was genuine. "Yes, that'll give you about 38 hours a week more to work on cases." ------- Chapter 17 Ed drove the jeep into the driveway as the garage door opened. He pulled into John's normal space. Turning off the jeep, he sat back in his seat and rubbed his eyes. He and Leroy had taken turns driving home while John slept in the back seat. Leroy stretched and yawned. Ed looked in the back of the jeep at the sleeping form of John. He reached back and shook John awake. "We're home, John." Yawning, John sat up and stretched his arms, as much as was possible within the tight confines of the jeep. He looked around at the garage. "Oh, we're home. Why didn't you wake me earlier?" Leroy laughed at the suggestion and answered, "We weren't brave enough to return home with a tired John. Ling would skin us alive." The men got out of the jeep and headed into the house. They were met at the door by Cathy. "John, you've had another invitation to the White House. I turned it down as per your standing order. You have a date tomorrow night with one of the wives in town. She'll be here around seven for dinner. The University called and wanted to know if you still intended to take a semester off from your lectures. I told them that your intentions had not changed. I've put your tax forms in your inbox. You need to look over them, but Jack and the IRS agent have both okayed it." John mumbled, "Thanks, Cathy." She turned to Ed and recited, "Your tax forms are in your inbox. A check arrived from the New York Diamond Exchange. They gave you a nice bonus. I deposited it in your account. A box of samples arrived from Antarctica. I put it on the table in front of your workshop. You have a date tomorrow night with Rosa. She'll be here for dinner around seven. A rather persistent student has called several times a day wanting to know if you'll be his advisor for his dissertation. I told him that you would be available to talk to him tomorrow at three." Smiling Ed stated, "Thanks, Cathy. You're a lifesaver." She turned to Leroy and recited, "Your thesis advisor called while you were out. I told him you'd be available tomorrow at three." Leroy hugged Cathy. "I think you're the greatest." Cathy smiled and returned to her office. The three men looked at each other. John stated, "Nothing to do until tomorrow afternoon. How about a swim?" Leroy answered, "Sounds perfect to me." The three men entered the poolroom laughing about crazy John. It took them a minute to realize that the room wasn't empty. Mrs. Hayes, Ling, Kelly, and Linda were lounging on the chairs beside the pool. Dr. Hayes was in his wheelchair next to his wife. There wasn't a stitch of clothes on any one of them. Kelly asked, "What's so funny?" Leroy took a quick glance in Linda's direction and then answered, "We were laughing about crazy John." A confused look crossed Ling's face. She had never heard anyone refer to John in that fashion. "What about John?" "Not John, crazy John!" asserted Ed. Laughing, John got a crazy look on his face. "I can see by all of the nipples in the room that these are all earthlings. You two, I'm not sure about. Do you have nipples? I have nipples, very good nipples. I bet you're from Cro. Are you Cronians?" Ed and Leroy laughed as they took off their shirts. Ed stated, "We have nipples." John frowned and looked crazy for a minute. He asked, "Are you sure those are nipples? They might be painted on. I'm not going back in space." While Ed and Leroy laughed, they slipped off their shoes and pants. John took off his cloak. Kelly asked, "So what is all this talk about Cronians?" Leroy answered, "We found some car thieves in Denver. John went over to them acting like crazy John and watched them until the police arrived. The car thieves were quite confused by all of the talk about Cronians too." Dr. Hayes smiled at the image. "Very nice. I bet they thought you were mad as a hatter." "Yes they did. They even asked me if I was an undercover cop. I told them I was FBI. They didn't believe that either." Linda still looked puzzled. "Why would you watch them until the police arrived?" As the men finished undressing, Ed explained about the car theft ring they had broken up that night. By the time Ed finished telling the story, all three men were naked and standing by the pool. John quipped, "Last one in is a..." He didn't get to finish as both Ed and Leroy jumped into the water. Leroy kept his cast out of the water. John added lamely, "great guy." Everyone laughed as he finally got in the water. Ed and John took a couple of laps, while Leroy walked around. He couldn't wait until he would be able to swim and splash water like everyone else. He looked over at Dr. Hayes and realized that he was actually very lucky in comparison. The men got out of the water and sat down with the women. John asked, "So what has everyone been up to the past few days?" Dr. Hayes stated, "Well, I've been talking to Kelly about opening that clinic here in town. She's basically got it all set up. I think we'll try to open it in two weeks. I'll be working out of a wheel chair, but that shouldn't matter." Kelly added, "I've rented an office. It's not much, but it's a start. I've been over there every day fixing it up." Smiling, Ling stated, "I arrested my first drunk driver. Outside of that, everything has been very quiet in town." Mrs. Hayes stated, "I've been over to the house watching them finish the interior. It should be ready in a week." Everyone looked at Linda waiting to hear what she had done. She blushed as she looked away shyly. She found her courage to say something, "I got a job at the library." "That's great," stated John pleased that she was thinking about staying in the house. Leroy asked, "Why at the library?" "I like books. I realized there was one thing that I really wanted to do. I want to write a book. However, I knew that I needed to work while I was doing that. The library sounded perfect for me." "I'm really happy for you. It sounds like a perfect choice." John realized that some fundamental changes had occurred among several key people while they were in Denver. He was still having a hard time believing that Dr. and Mrs. Hayes were lounging around the pool naked. They didn't look too bad without their clothes. Their pubic hair had turned gray and Mrs. Hayes breasts sagged a bit, but they were both in good shape. He glanced over at Linda. There was no doubt that she was gorgeous. Her breasts looked young and full. The areola of each breast was a dark brown tipped with a very large nipple. She had a luxurious growth of pubic hair. He turned to Kelly, "So how's the mother to be feeling?" "I'm feeling great. I don't have morning sickness or anything." Dr. Hayes remarked, "She's doing perfectly with her pregnancy. I've never seen one progress so nicely. She's very healthy." John sat back and enjoyed the company around him. It was nice to back at home and surrounded by a loving family. Linda finally burst out, "Hey, aren't you guys going to say anything?" Leroy asked, "About what?" "About the fact that I'm naked." Ed laughed. "So is everyone else." "I told you they wouldn't say anything. They'd treat you like you were fully clothed." Mrs. Hayes snorted, "I can't believe they didn't make any remarks about this old wrinkled body." In a very serious tone of voice, John replied, "I only see beautiful people in this room. Mrs. Hayes is glowing with a newfound confidence. Dr. Hayes looks happier than I've ever seen him, accepting a lifestyle that he's probably always wanted. I see a young woman that has found her passion and is about to unleash it on an unsuspecting world. Leroy sees himself as a human being that can embrace all that life has to offer him. Kelly has that glow that a woman achieves only in the creation of a new life. Ling, well, she's following her path to happiness." Dr. Hayes stated, "You're quite perceptive." "He's much more perceptive than you would credit him for. He's worked hard to bring everyone to this point. He's offered me a chance to explore my personal boundaries without pressure. He's kept from sleeping with Linda until she's found herself. You don't think it was an accident that Bob and Sarah were always naked when it was their turn to watch over you?" offered Leroy. He knew he wasn't fully aware of all that John was doing to help people become all that they could be. John stood up and walked over to where his clothes were laying on the floor. He picked up his robe and slipped it over his head. He turned to Leroy and corrected him, "The only thing I do is love the people around me. It's that simple." John left the room and headed to his room. He picked up a large box and then left to find Marguerite. He found her in the kitchen. "Marguerite, is there anything special planned for dinner tonight?" Marguerite turned and looked at John, her eyes spending most of their time on his package. "No, nothing special." "Could you prepare an intimate dinner for two to be served in my room this evening at about seven?" John shifted the box under his arm. The grin on Marguerite's face went from ear to ear. "So, you're finally going to give that poor girl the relief that she's been wanting." "Could you add a simple snack to be brought by the room around ten?" Marguerite asked, "Would you prefer finger foods that you can feed to each other or something a little more formal?" "Finger foods, please." A meal of finger foods was a tough order as there aren't many meals made of just finger foods. She smiled as she had an idea of the perfect meal. She smiled, "I have an idea, it's not exactly finger foods, but I think it will have the appropriate effect." "Surprise me." John grinned at Marguerite and left to locate Cathy. Cathy was in her office working on family books. She was to meet with Jack the next week to go over the finances and to file the quarterly taxes. She didn't notice John enter the room until he cleared his throat. She looked up and apologized, "Oh, sorry John. I was working on something." "Must be interesting." "Not really." John smiled as he asked, "Well, how about something a little different?" "Like what?" "I would like you to print up an invitation to Linda for a private dinner this evening at seven in my room. I would also like this box given to her with the invitation." Cathy grinned. "So, you're going to give the woman what she needs. It's about time." John shook his head in denial. "I've been giving her what she needs for a long time now. I'm going to give her what she wants. Okay?" "Sure boss," Cathy snickered. She turned to the computer and typed up a very quick invitation. John looked over her shoulder at what she was typing. He frowned, "That should be 'intimate dinner' rather than 'rousing good fuck'." "You're no fun at all." Cathy laughed. She made the change and then continued working on the invitation. "That should be 'his room' and not 'pleasure pit of the greatest stud on earth'." Cathy made all of the corrections and then printed it up on a heavy paper. It looked appropriately formal. She put it in an envelope and sealed it. She taped it onto the box that John had set on her desk. John thanked her and went back to the poolroom. Cathy watched John leave the room. She immediately turned back to her computer and made a second invitation that read as she had intended. She wrote a note on it that John wouldn't let her send out that version, but it was probably closer to the truth. She taped that one onto the package as well, knowing that Linda would appreciate it. There was a knock on the door at exactly seven. John answered the door to find Linda wearing the emerald green dress that John had purchased for her. He invited her into his room. She smiled at him and entered slowly. There was a table set in the middle of the room. On it were a fondue set and some long forks. Soft music played in the background setting a comfortable atmosphere. Linda wasn't familiar with the artist, but she liked the music. John led her to the table by a single hand and gave her a seat. She sat down demurely as he helped move the chair closer to the table. She stated, "I'm not sure which invitation I accepted." "Pardon?" "I'm not sure if I accepted the intimate dinner or the rousing good fuck." John looked horrified and blurted, "I'm going to kill Cathy!" Linda laughed aloud at his discomfort. "Don't worry, she signed her version of the invitation. I know that you are far too classy for something like that. Besides, we have often joked about any invitation you might send would really translate into an invitation for a rousing good fuck." John shook his head amazed at how everyone in the house had private jokes with others. He laughed, "Okay, I won't kill her. I'll just get revenge one of these days. Now, Marguerite has prepared quite a nice meal for us." Linda looked at the cheese fondue and asked, "How do you eat this?" John took one of the long forks and stabbed a piece of bread in it. He swirled the bread around covering it well with the melted cheese. He held it over the pot for a moment allowing it to cool. He then held the fork out for her to take the morsel impaled on the end of it. She leaned forward and ate the cheese covered bread off the end of the fork. She smiled, "So that's how you do it." John nodded as she went through the same activities. She held the fork up for him. He ate the cheese-covered bread off the fork. Some of the cheese ran off the bread and covered his chin. She laughed at him and teased, "Isn't that supposed to be done in a more sexy fashion." "You're supposed to lick any errant cheese off the person your feeding." Laughing, she stated, "You can't be serious." "Very serious. And if the bread drops off the fork when it is in the cheese, you have to kiss the other person." "Hmm, sounds like a fun kind of meal." John stabbed another cube of bread and swirled it around in the cheese. He held it out for her to eat, but as she leaned forward, he pulled it back making her lean forward more. She giggled and bit the morsel from the fork. It was her turn and the piece of bread fell of into the cheese. She fished it out and fed it to John. He stated, "Hmm, you have to kiss me." Linda leaned forward and kissed him chastely on the cheek. The disappointment was clearly written across John's face. She giggled at the look on his face and he smiled in return. He teased, "I'll get you back for that." They feed each other until each was comfortably full. Several accidents had occurred and the kisses got increasingly more intimate. When they had finished, Linda looked at him for a minute. Afraid, she asked, "You really do care about me, don't you?" "Yes, I do." "Kiss me," begged Linda. She couldn't believe how much she had come to love the white man that had entered her life. She wondered what he saw in her. John leaned across the table and gave a chaste kiss on the cheek. She laughed, "Okay, so you got me back. Now kiss me." John ran his lips across her lips, tickling her with the extremely light touch. Her lips parted, as she wanted more. He ran his tongue across the upper lip and then slowly sucked her lower lip between his lips. She finally grabbed him and pulled him tight to her. She kissed him deeply. He stood and led her away from the table. They held each other tightly and kissed deeply as their hands roamed. She broke the kiss, "I want to feel your body under my hands." John lifted the robe over his head. He slipped off his boxers and the house slippers. He stood before her naked. The only adornment was the gold chain with the three medallions around his neck. She stepped back and looked at him. She whispered, "I've never really looked closely at a naked man before." "Come here and look all you want. Examine every inch of me until you feel comfortable with my body." She came close and ran her hands across his chest, taking in the sparse chest hairs and strong muscles. She looked at the scars and traced them with her fingers. She ran her hands down his body to his cock and touched it very hesitantly. She knelt down to get a good look at his cock and balls. Her mouth was parted and her tongue slowly licked her lips as she moved his flaccid cock and lifted his ball sack. She jumped when his cock reacted to her touch. She watched it slowly become erect, her hand touching it throughout the process. It was hard to believe that the cock could swell like that. She looked at the fully erect monster cock with wide eyes. She looked up at him, "Is that huge thing supposed to go inside me?" He touched her hair, enjoying the feel of her soft long black hair under his hand. He smiled down at her and answered, "Yes, but you have to be ready for it." She stood up and looked at him. Her fears were coming to the surface as she asked, "You'll help me?" John pulled her close and kissed her deeply. She sighed when he finished. He stepped back and slowly undid her dress. It fell to the floor easily. She stood in her shoes, bra and panties. John ran his hands across the exposed parts of her body. She pressed herself against his hand, enjoying the feel of his masculine touch on her skin. John led her to the bed in the bedroom. He gently laid her on the bed and then crawled in to lie beside her. He kissed her lips and then kissed his way to behind her ears. While there, he nibbled on her earlobes. She moaned in passion, unable to believe the sensations that his lips were arousing within her. He kissed his way down her neck to the clasp of her bra. He reached over and undid the clasp. With slow deliberateness, he removed the bra from her breasts. He returned to her neck and kissed his way down to the valley between her breasts. His hands gently and softly traced their way around the bottom of her breasts. He kissed her breasts, staying away from the sensitive nipples. He hadn't even touched them yet, but they were stiff. The soft hairs of his beard tickled her skin. She grabbed his head and brought it to her nipples. He kissed them lightly and then sucked them between his lips. He ran his tongue over them, getting them wet and then moved back to blow on them. She arched her back and then he nipped them between his teeth. The suddenness of his action brought a low animal moan out of her. He kissed his way down to her navel while running his hands along her legs. His hands met her panties and he slipped them down. She raised her hips to help him remove her panties. He went back to kissing her breasts. She was flushed with excitement and breathing heavily. He ran his tongue around her nipples as she moaned. He kissed his way down to her pussy. He pulled her hair out of his way with his lips. The tugs increased her excitement. He licked her pussy lips with a rigid tongue avoiding touching her clit. She was moaning constantly now. She grabbed his head and pulled it to her pussy. She moaned, "You're as good as Kelly at this." John had little choice but to lick her clit, she was holding his head over the clit with an iron grip. He flicked his tongue across it with fast soft flicks. She locked her legs around his head and arched her back as she came. He gave an occasional lick to prolong her orgasm. Her moans had changed to a scream. She relaxed a little and he went back to work. He thrust his tongue into her pussy like it was a cock. He avoided the overly sensitive clit. Her excitement levels grew again to near orgasmic levels. He licked her clit and she had a second orgasm. Her legs clamped down on his head while her hands pulled at his hair. She screamed louder than before. When she had finally relaxed her grip on his head with her legs, John slid a finger into her dripping cunt. His face was covered with her womanly juices. His cock, leaking pre-cum, demanded release. He moved up and positioned himself to enter her. He rubbed his cock across her opening, She tried to pull him into her, but he continued to tease her with his cock. Finally, he slowly entered her. He hadn't gotten much of his cock into her when he encountered her hymen. John held onto her and rolled over onto his back pulling her with him. She was now lying atop him. He helped her into a position where she was sitting astride him. He urged her gently, "Move down at your own comfort. If it starts to hurt, stop." She slowly lowered herself on his cock until it encountered her hymen. He lay still so as not to drive his cock through her maidenhead. She pressed down a little and then eased up. The next time she pressed down, he rubbed her clit. The shock of his touch on her sensitive clit made her forget the pain. Her maidenhead burst as she experienced another small orgasm from his manual manipulations of her clit. She lowered herself until his cock was fully inserted. She began small up and down movements on his cock. Her moans resumed, building in volume until they reached a low scream. Her movements became more intense as she took her pleasure from his cock. As John ran his hands over her breasts, she started screaming, "Oh God, I'm coming again." She slumped down against his chest. John positioned her legs and then rolled over so that she was on her back. Lifting himself on his arms, he started to thrust. He gave a full deep thrust and then paused. Then he gave her two deep thrusts that were followed by a pause. He continued in that fashion increasing the number of thrusts by one until he reached ten thrusts followed by a pause. Her body reacted with increasing excitement. He returned to a single thrust followed by a pause. This time when he hit ten thrusts, she came again. Now his pause was enforced by her legs locking behind his ass, holding him in place. When she relaxed, he started over again. Again, she came when he reached ten thrusts. He brought her through four orgasms in that fashion before his excitement grew to a level where he could hold back no more. He came inside her with a mind-blowing orgasm. Her screams were only matched by his roar. He pulled out of her, as his sensitive cock could not take any more sensation. He lay beside her in the bed, holding her tightly to him as they both recovered from their sexually induced bliss. She made little cooing noises as she snuggled tight to him. She was about to speak, but he held a finger to her lips. He told her, "I love you." "I love you too," she replied. She giggled, "So that is what a rousing good fuck feels like." John laughed at the unexpected quip. "I guess so." She turned so that they were spooning, with her back pressed tightly to his chest. She took his hand and placed it on her breast. She stated, "I was so worried that I wouldn't be any good at it. I don't think that is possible." John smiled, "It is possible. You could have lied on your back and counted ceiling tiles." "Who'd want to do that?" John laughed, "I have no idea." She enjoyed the sensation of being held close. John's hand gently rubbed her breast occasionally playing with her nipple. She felt like she could stay in that position forever. She asked, "What do we do now?" John smiled, "Well, we could take a shower together and then eat a little snack. If you're up to it, we can come back and explore each others' bodies some more." Sadness entered her voice as she asked, "Will we ever do this again?" John stated, "I would like it if you would join our family, but I don't want to pressure you." ------- Chapter 18 The wedding ceremony was a quiet affair, attended by the parents of the new bride and groom. Linda and Leroy glowed with happiness. Linda looked gorgeous in her white robe, the white contrasting nicely with her dark skin. Leroy looked handsome, but felt a little uncomfortable wearing a white robe as it raised thoughts of racists organizations. Ling wore a white robe and shifted nervously, as this was her first time through the ceremony as well. John wore his brown robe and looked impressive with his cloak and walking stick. His white hair and beard helped give him a mystical look. Ed wore his black robe and still looked like a cowboy wearing a black robe. Kelly wore her green robe; which hid the fact that she was eight months pregnant. Beth's parents came to act as representatives of the parents of the existing family members. For them, this was a bittersweet moment. It was nice to be included in the ceremony, but it reminded them that the last time it was their daughter getting married. It also reminded them how seriously the family took their relationships with the parents of the individual members. They had been taken into the family fold without a single question being raised. The ceremony was performed by Mary Darling. The ceremony was the same as the first wedding and had been performed on the anniversary of the original wedding. The blood of the new members was added to the wine that had been used at the original ceremony. Like before, observers swore they saw the Gods and Goddesses attending the ceremony. The Native Americans swore they could see the animal spirits around John and Linda. This, more than the obvious happiness of Linda, convinced them that this marriage was a good thing. A large buffet dinner was served in the formal dining room. The spread of food was quite impressive. There was venison, duck, elk, fish, beef, chicken, quail, and pork. As side dishes, there were pinto beans, green beans, steamed carrots, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, greens, potatoes au gratin, rice, white asparagus, salad, Brussel sprouts, peas, and cauliflower. Absent were thick french- fries and broccoli, both of which had been banned by a unanimous decision by John, Ed, and Leroy. Of course, Marguerite had given all three of them plates with thick french-fries and broccoli. There were more people than places around the table so the party spread out to encompass both the living room and dining room. People tended to sit in one place for a while and then move to another place to talk to other people. There was a continual movement of people around the front of the house. Linda's family was quite impressed by the prominent place that the tribal gift had in the living room. It was mounted in a glass case to protect it from dust with lights shining upon it to make it stand out. Below it was a brass plaque stating the honor shown the family by the gift. Each member of her family took the time to look at the gift and the care with which its presentation was made. John sat down next to Leroy's parents, Leroy Sr. and Cleo. Leroy Sr. asked, "So what is this group marriage thing about? Are you some sort of cult?" John shook his head, "Well, this group marriage thing is about love. It's a group of people helping each other. We work so that each of us can become the best person that they can be. Ed got his doctorate in this marriage. Linda is working at being an author. Kelly is the best triage nurse in the country. Ling is a highly recognized expert in security. I am a physicist." "We're not a cult. Ed, Kelly, and I are Druids. We serve the Gods and Goddesses. Although I am the Grand Druid, we do not ask that anyone believe along with us. Leroy can continue to be a Southern Baptist. Ling is still a Buddhist. Linda will continue to follow the beliefs of her tribe," John added. He could see the disbelief on Leroy Sr.'s face. Leroy had warned him that his father was a very devote Southern Baptist and served as a deacon in the church. "So you're head of this so-called religion?" "Yes, I am. We serve the good." "Do you really expect me to believe you?" John smiled, "No. You don't have to believe me. All that I ask is that you respect my belief as much as I respect yours." Cleo asked, "So what do you think of our religion?" John looked at her carefully, "I think it is a good religion. It helps many people live good and honest lives. It provides a set of guidelines that value love and good treatment of people. Your God works miracles to help true believers." Leroy Sr. asked, "If you feel that way, why aren't you a Christian?" "I have met my Gods and Goddesses. They have commanded me to serve in a different way." Leroy Sr., convinced now more than ever that John was some kind of Satanist, asked, "You met your Gods and Goddesses?" John was getting tired of this line of questioning. He knew that no amount of words would convince the man that his religion served the good. He pulled out his medallion and held it out. "Touch the medallion." Leroy Sr. reached out and, with a skeptical look at John touched the medallion. Immediately he found himself in a meadow. The air was clean, the grass soft underfoot, and the birds called to one another. He found himself staring at a beautiful naked woman. She was black and proudly African. He couldn't help getting an erection. She stared at him for several minutes. Her voice sounded like wind rustling through trees. "You have a question?" "John Carter never said you were black." The woman laughed. She changed into the white woman that John had seen. "This is how John Carter sees me." "Are you a demon?" "Deacon Jones, I doubt that a demon would give you a message from your God." The woman's laughter tinkled like water in a tumbling brook. "The Son of your God calls to you. He wants you in the church with a red door and a white cross on the steeple in Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico at sunrise on Easter Morning." Leroy Sr. found himself staring at John. His trembling hand had dropped away from the medallion. He knew that he would be in the church at the appointed time. No demon would send him to a holy building on the most holy of mornings. He stared at John, "How?" John shrugged as he answered, "I have no idea what you experienced." John stood up and left the room. Leroy Sr. was strangely quiet. His wife looked at him concerned for his state of mind. He whispered something to her and she looked at him in shock. John headed back into the dining room. He found William Redman standing in the doorway to the kitchen, watching Marguerite learn how to make flat bread from his wife. He was smiling at the intense concentration the woman gave learning how to cook this staple of life. William turned to John, "Your cook makes a good venison dish. My wife went in to find out how she prepared the venison. Now she is teaching your cook how to make Indian Flat Bread." "Marguerite cooks with a passion. She will take any opportunity to learn how to prepare a new dish." William watched the activity. "You have a strange group of people here, John Carter. Sometimes I don't know what to make of you." "Only sometimes?" "Okay, most of the time." William laughed. "Where does such intensity come from?" "It's simple really. Everyone in this house strives for excellence in everything that we do." "That is hard to do." "No, it is simple. Striving for perfection is impossible, even if it is perfection in one thing." William nodded at that and understood the wisdom behind it. It fit in with a common belief among his people. "The women always leave a flaw in their weaving so the spider woman can get out. Their products are never perfect, but they are always excellent." "I have noticed that you are deliberate in everything that you do." William retorted, "That's my old age. You have to take care how you even walk or else you fall and break a hip. You watch what you say because you don't have the breath to explain it twice." John noticed Ed and Leroy enter the dining room and waved them over. He pointed to the clock and they nodded their heads. John held up both hands with two fingers raised. They understood his gesture. They went to the beverage table and prepared two large glasses of iced tea each. John asked, "Would you join us upstairs?" William shrugged and followed John up the stairs. He grinned when he saw that John had led him to roof and four chairs. John motioned to him to sit down. Both men sat down in the chairs. Ed and Leroy came up with the iced teas. Ed handed his extra to John while Leroy handed his extra to William. The two men sat down in the remaining two chairs. William nodded as he watched the sun set in the west. He, like the others, sipped his iced tea while watching the sun disappear beneath the horizon. The colors were gorgeous. The men watched quietly, enjoying the spectacle nature provided every evening. They didn't even have to buy tickets to see it. When the colors faded and night fell, William took a final sip of his iced tea. The ice made a nice rattling sound in the empty glass. He turned to the others. "You do this often?" "Every night that we are here," replied Ed. "We use this time to appreciate nature and to strengthen the bonds among us." John looked slightly pained as he looked at William. He did not want to impose on the old man, but he felt that he had no choice. He stated, "William. I have a favor to ask of you." William was surprised, John had never asked anything of him or the tribe despite all that he had done for them. He looked at John, "What is it that you want?" "I would like it if our children can spend a year on the reservation with your family to learn your values." "Why do you ask before they are of age to come?" asked William. The timing of the request was strange. Their first child had not been born yet. John was silent for a long time. Ed and Leroy wondered if John had actually not heard the question. John sighed, "Because I won't be here to ask and this will be my last chance to ask you." Leroy and Ed stared at John as his words sunk in. Ed could tell that John was speaking the truth, as he knew it. He sat back and wondered why John believed that he wouldn't be around in ten years. He could understand why John might believe that William would not be around at that time. William was close to a hundred years old. John was only in his early forties and had another forty years that he could expect to live. Leroy, uncomfortable in the silence that had descended upon the group, was the first to speak. "Why do you say that?" "My work is almost done," replied John. His delivery of that statement was flat and unemotional. There was no arguing with him about that point. Ed stated, "Even if your work is done, that doesn't mean that you will die." Laughing, John replied, "Nature doesn't keep useless things around." Leroy stated, "Your work may change once again." William had not listened to the rest of the conversation. He was trying to work out an answer. He nodded, "I shall ask my grandson, Robert White Feather, if he will take in your children." "Thank you, William." John looked at the old man. "I am sorry that I had to ask you to do this. I know that Leroy will teach the children to appreciate nature and that Ed will teach them to be honest. Kelly shall teach them empathy. Ling shall teach them how to defend themselves. Linda will teach them how to take pleasure in life. I know that your family can teach them respect and deliberation." "You honor me with such a request. To entrust your future generation to the care of my family is a sign of respect that I have never seen matched." "Thank you, William." John looked at Ed and John. He took a deep breath and then stated, "Let us return to the party downstairs." Everyone went down stairs with the exception of John, who hung back for a moment. He looked out over the desert and sighed. He told the desert, "The college opens in a year. The first class shall graduate in seven. I hope you see fit for me to live to then." John returned downstairs. Kelly came up to John, "Are you okay?" "Yes I am, my beloved." John looked at Kelly with a smile on his face. He smiled, "Have I told you lately that I love you?" "No you haven't." "Okay, remind me that I owe you a couple hundred I love you's." Kelly playfully kicked him in the shin. "Is that how you want me to remind you?" "I love you." John walked around for a few steps as though lame. Kelly hugged him tightly. There were times when she felt as if she looked like an elephant. Every time she felt that way, John would come along and say exactly the right thing. She nuzzled his neck, "I love you too." John whispered in her ear, "I wish we were in the back of the house. I love looking at your pregnant body." She smiled despite how much she hated how she looked. She stated, "You just like looking at my huge tits." "I love looking at the miracle." Kelly hugged John tightly. She knew that he really did love looking at her and took every opportunity to watch her. He wasn't the only one. Ed was always touching her bulging belly feeling the life inside. Even Leroy took every opportunity to rub her feet and back that he could. Ling and Linda were doing everything to prepare a wonderful nursery and clothes for the baby. She felt sorry for women that didn't have such loving support in this critical time. "You're great. I'd better go beg for some more attention from Ed and Leroy." John laughed and patted her on the rear as she turned to leave. "Go right ahead." Ling came over to John. She cuddled up against him, "She's glowing. You must have said the right thing to her." John whispered in her ear, "I love you." Ling laughed, "You definitely said the right thing to me." "She had to remind me to say it to her." Ling playfully kicked his shin. She knew that Kelly hadn't had to remind him of anything, but went along with him. She stated, "You cad!" "All the women in my life are kicking me today," moaned John. He leaned over to whisper in her ear, "You're next." "Next for what?" "To have a baby. This house needs some pitter pat of happy feet." Tears came to Ling's eyes. She grabbed his arm, "Are you serious?" "Yes, I am." John and Ed had talked about it for a long time. They both knew that Ling wanted a child and Ed was ready to father child. He smiled down at her, "I know Ed would love to have a child with you. I think you want Ed as the father too." Ling hugged his arm tightly as she cried, "I was so afraid that you wouldn't understand. I know that I got into the family because of my love for you, but I've grown so close to Ed over the past few years." "I'm very happy for you. I know you've wanted this for a long time." Ling stepped back, "you have no idea how much I love you and the rest of the family. Sometimes I can't put what I feel into words." "You have no idea how much we love you. Now go bother Ed." Ling skipped away happily humming to herself. "I'm gonna have a baby." John watched Ling move through the crowd. She positively glowed. He knew that she was ready to start working on a baby right away. It would be a month or two before she could conceive. Ed would be having a lot of fun until then. Mrs. Hayes moved gracefully through the crowd of people. She came to John, "I want to thank you for taking such good care of us. My husband was going to retire, but we had no plans on what to do. Running a simple clinic every morning is perfect for him." "It was my pleasure. Remember, you are our in-laws and, as such, our family will watch over you." John sounded a little sad as he said this. "You miss Beth, don't you?" "Very much." John's eyes misted as he thought about Betsy and Beth. He still missed both of them very much. He missed Mrs. South and, even, missed the cats. Dr. Hayes came over on his crutches. His leg had healed, but the muscles were still weak. At his age, the significant damage that had been done to his leg took time to heal. He announced his presence, "Hello, John." "Hello, Dr. Hayes." "Call me Doc. Everyone else in this town does that." John laughed. "How's that make you feel?" "Honestly? It makes me feel wanted." "What do you mean?" Dr. Hayes smiled, "I worked late yesterday and drove the golf cart home. On my way, I passed the baseball field by the school. A little league game was being played. Well, I stopped and watched. I realized that I had seen half of the kids on the field. I even treated some of the parents that were there. It dawned on me at that moment, that I knew my patients. Before, I never saw one of my patients outside the office." "So you've become part of the community?" "Oh, yes. Everyone in town knows me by name. They know what I like to eat at the café. Folks ask my advice about things that aren't even medical. It's amazing and I've never been happier." John added, "A lot of big city doctors don't realize how much respect a doctor can get in a small town. I would think it would be harder to get doctors in the city than in the country." "Money. It comes down to money. It costs so much to become a doctor that it takes a big city practice to pay it back." "Maybe that will change in time." Dr Hayes smiled as he replied, "You know. I've been talking to some of my colleagues about my life here. I'm sure that many of them will choose the same kind of retirement." "I'm glad to hear that." "I want to thank you for taking us in. I really appreciate some of the changes that have taken place in me and my wife." Mrs. Hayes laughed. "Yeah. He loves the fact that I am naked around the house all of the time now." "That too." "Oh yeah. You like the fact that I go down on you, take it in the ass, and fuck you with the sex toys." Dr. Hayes blushed and said, "I wouldn't have put it so explicitly, but yes I love that too. Actually, I love the communication that exists between us now." John nodded his understanding. He concurred, "Yes, that is the most important thing that can exist between people." "I always questioned what Beth saw in you when she married you. Now I realize it was my lucky day when she met you. Ed is an incredible human being. Kelly is wonderful. Ling is a dear. I like your new husband and wife. Leroy took great care of my wife and me. Linda is a charming woman that never failed to cheer me up." "I'm rather fond of my spouses, too." "Well, I want to thank you for everything you've done for us." Dr. Hayes was truly sincere. He really appreciated the changes in his life. His sex life with his wife had become so much better than ever. He had relaxed and he came to appreciate life much more. He had become a community leader. John watched the elderly couple as they walked over to Leroy's parents. He hoped that perhaps they would have some luck convincing them that this marriage was a good thing for their son. He knew it would take some time for them to come to grips with their son's situation. His thoughts were interrupted by Linda's arrival. "Hey John. You have to try Marguerites first attempt at flat bread. It's great!" John turned to face her only to have her put a warm piece of bread in his hands. He took a bite from it and made appreciative noises. After swallowing he exclaimed, "That's pretty good! Almost as good as your grandmother makes." Linda smiled and said, "Well, it'll be nice to have a taste of home here." John laughed at that. He teased, "You sound like you're being added to harem where you'll never get to see anyone." "I'm not?" Linda teased. "I thought that I was." "You can visit your parents and grandparents any time you want." He added, "So long as you get our permission and never leave the house for more than five minutes." Putting the back of her hand to her forehead, she wailed, "Oh woe is me. I had no idea what I was getting into." They looked at each other for a minute and then burst out laughing. John leaned down and whispered in her ear, "I love you." She wrapped herself around his arm. "I love you." "So how do you feel being married to five people?" "Strange. I waited until now to find someone worthy of marrying. I find it hard to believe that I found five people. It really blows my mind that two of them are women. I've never been attracted to women." John laughed aloud. "I know what you mean. You should have seen Ed and I dancing around the subject." "Well, it wasn't that tough for me. I had done it before I even knew I was doing it. Going to bed with a man was much more difficult. I was so scared of doing it wrong." John said, "I'm very honored that you choose me as your first. You did everything perfect." "I'm still learning how to give head. In fact, I feel a real strong need to practice right now." Her words denied her expertise. She had become the best at giving head that he had ever encountered. It was clear that she actually loved it. She could deep throat him with ease. She always swallowed and hated to see cum wasted. John shook his head. "Learning? You're already the best!" "I strive for excellence," replied Linda with a wink. Her sexuality had surprised her. She couldn't believe how much she enjoyed it. She had reacted so positively to Kelly's administrations the first time. Her first time with a man had been heavenly; John had been tender and loving. She had no idea how many times she had come that evening, but it was clearly a lot. "Well, you've achieved it!" "Thanks, am I going to be able to get you out of here for ten minutes?" "No, everyone already thinks that you are all my own personal harem. I better talk to Ling for a minute and then I'll visit with your brother." Linda looked at John out of the corner of her eye. She loved to tease him about how he was perceived. "We aren't your personal harem?" "Of course, haven't you noticed that I keep everyone naked and on there knees when I enter a room. I just don't want everyone else to know it." She laughed and went off in search of Ed. John watched her walk off. She had changed a lot from the woman that had told him off in the restaurant. He wondered when she had changed her mind. He went off in search of Robert White Feather, finding him at the buffet loading up a plate with duck, beans, and flat bread. He picked up a plate and loaded it with venison, rice, beans, and flat bread. He joined Robert at the table. Robert greeted him with, "So you've tamed the shrew?" "Pardon?" "There wasn't a brave left on the reservation that would dare ask my sister for a date. I never thought she'd meet someone that could live up to her expectations. I had even begun to consider that she might be a lesbian. You are a miracle worker." Shrugging his shoulders, John replied, "I don't know about that. I've always found her to be confident and easy going." "Confident, I would agree with, but easy going is a mighty stretch." "You're her brother and probably got an unfair dose of sibling rivalry." Robert laughed as he countered, "I know at least three men that are happy to have both hands after they tried to pat her on the ass in the café she used to work in. She went after one of them with a knife." Laughing, John shook his head trying to imagine Linda doing that. "I guess I'll find out in time. So how do you like being a reservation cop?" Robert shook his head, "The biggest problem we face is alcoholism. We've seen some decrease lately as people start to take a little more pride in themselves and their history. I hope that trend continues, but we still see a lot of alcohol related spouse abuse and major traffic accidents." "If you can come up with some solution that will scale across all of the tribes, let me know and I'll fund it." Robert shook his head, "I'm not sure that I'm the one to talk to about that. I'm busy picking up the pieces." "Well, if you come across someone that is being successful let them know about my offer." Robert looked at John. There were times he couldn't believe that John was real. He had to ask, "Why are you doing this for us?" "Hey, I want to make this a better world for my children. I'd rather do that by solving the world's problems than leave them rich enough that they don't have to interact with the world." "Well, you better get busy having kids. With three women here, I'd expect you guys to have twenty or more kids." John laughed, "I don't think so. Linda wants a couple of kids and so does Ling. Kelly is happy to have one. She didn't think it was possible, given her age." "Well, I think it is a good thing for you to have lots of kids." "It's not up to me. The women are the ones who are really in control of that. We will do our part quite willingly, but they have the final say. We all put it off for a while because we weren't sure if the marriage would work." "Smart. The worst thing people can do is rush into having children. You need to have very strong relations with your spouse before taking on that responsibility. If you don't start strong, it is very tough to strengthen it after you have children." ------- Chapter 19 A hundred new students stood in the administration building waiting to hear a short speech. There were slight murmurs as people talked in low voices with each other. Some were skeptical that John was the Grand Druid, but most accepted it as fact. Among the crowd were people who had claimed to be Druids and Wiccans. A few just believed in a higher power, but no fixed belief system. The route here had been surprising for most of the students. The intelligence tests that formed the basis of entry into the school had been easy. Far more difficult had been the interviews with the faculty members, many of whom where Druids. The questions had been extremely personal and more than one potential student had pulled out because of an interview. A common characteristic of the students was that they were bright, but had a troubled background. Many had graduated high school in the lower half of their class. They were also unable to pay for an education at a regular school. This was their last chance for a college education and many were desperate. There were slightly more females than males. This had not been intentional, but John had actually been pleased. Two male students would have three female roommates. He hoped those particular students would be able to cope. John, dressed in his brown robe, walked to a podium and faced the students. It was suddenly quiet. He quickly looked over the student body, pleased with the number of initial students. He had not expected so many students the first year the college was opened. He cleared his throat, "I am John Carter, the Grand Druid. Everyone in this room has an IQ greater than the 98th percentile. You are about to enter an educational endeavor that shall challenge that IQ to its limits." "You shall learn mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, logic, literature, history, philosophy, esthetics, psychology, computer science, and sociology. Then you shall specialize in one of those areas. Your first four years shall cover the basics in every branch of science, mathematics, and humanities. Your last two years shall be spent getting specialized. Every year you will have self-defense training." "Throughout your educational experience, you shall be learn how to be a Druid. The first year shall be the hardest for many of you. This is the year that you learn our first rule, if it harms no one then do it. Believe me when I say that it is a far more complex and limiting rule than it sounds." "You will find yourself becoming upset, irritated, or angry when someone does something that actually harms no one. The fact that you are angry is your problem and not theirs. You can't tell them not to do it, because it is allowed. You will also find yourself doing things that you think nothing about, but actually, causes harm. Others will call you on it and you will be angry. Again, that is your problem because what you have done is not allowed." "We have a fixed program here, but you shall find that it is much more multi-disciplinary than most university programs. Classes are arranged on quarters and you will stay here full-time. Each class is one hour long and given five days a week. You will have eight classes a day. Classes start at nine and end at nine." "Your role as a Druid, when you leave here, shall be to advise others. To do so, you must know more than they know. You must be able to think through things more clearly than others can. That is the goal of the education you will receive here." "At the end of your sojourn here, you shall present yourself to the Gods and Goddesses. If they deem you worthy, you shall become a Druid. You shall join the ranks of other Druids and be treated as an equal." As John spoke, a line of robed individuals entered the room. There were three hundred Druids, all wearing the medallions of a God or Goddess. He pointed to the Druids, "These are recognized Druids. You will know them by the medallions they wear around their neck." He turned to face the Druids assembled in the room. He removed the medallion from under his robe. He set it outside the robe, "From hence forth, you shall wear your robes at all times and your medallion outside your robe. It is up to us, the recognized Druids, to create a reputation that shall serve as a foundation for our students. We have to gain the prestige that shall force the powerful to seek out the opinions of Druids." He smiled at the students. "For the next hour you may talk to any Druid in this room. You can ask any question of them that you may wish." The students stood where they were for several minutes, unsure what they were to do. Finally, a couple of the Druids went to a few of the students and pulled them away from the others. Other students took the hint and moved to where the Druids stood. One student headed straight to a Druid that was accompanied by a bear. It took some time, but eventually, all of the students had a chance to talk with one or more Druids. One student came up to John. He challenged John, "Why are you the Grand Druid?" "I am the first Druid in eight hundred years to serve all the Gods and Goddesses." "How am I supposed to believe that?" "Check out my medallion. You will see that it is made of three medallions." The student frowned, "So what? You could have gotten that out of a cracker jack box." "Look at it carefully." The student lifted it and looked at it. He had seen hundreds of medallions on gold chains. The images on medallions were very suggestive of erotic subjects. Anyone with a little money could buy one. "Okay." "Try to remove it." The medallion slipped out of his fingers. No matter how much he tried, he could not grasp the medallion. He looked at John in wonder, "I can't hold onto it." "It was put around my neck by the Two-Sided One. It can't be removed. Each medallion around the neck of a Druid is the same. No one can remove it except for a God or Goddess." The student stared at John realizing that this was a serious group. They really did serve the Gods and Goddesses. He asked, "Did it hurt?" "You are dealing with the forces of nature. They are powerful and we are mortal." The student walked off. He decided to test what John had told him and visited another Druid asking if he could try to remove the medallion. Again, he found that he couldn't do it. Several other students heard the exchange and looked in wonder. Another student came to John. She looked around nervously before asking, "How much do you make?" John laughed, "I make a lot more than I actually need. I give almost 98% of it away." "Oh, does that mean I have to live a life of poverty?" John laughed, "No. I make over a billion a year. I give most of it away, but I'm nowhere near the poverty level." "Oh, do all Druids make that much?" "No. All of them are more than satisfied with what they earn. Even the ones that don't make much are quite satisfied with their lifestyle." The woman looked at John with a funny expression, "They settle for satisfaction?" "Settle? No, that is not the word I would use. I would say they all achieve satisfaction. Anything beyond that is wasted effort." She frowned, "I want a lot." John stated, "I can write you check for a million. If that isn't enough, I can make it ten million. If that still isn't enough, I can make it a hundred million. Are you satisfied?" "Huh?" "Are you satisfied?" "No. I'm excited." "What will it take to satisfy you?" "I guess ten million." "Okay, you got it." John stated. "Are you satisfied?" "Ah, I don't know." The young lady was very confused. She didn't know if he was seriously offering her ten million dollars or not. "I guess so." John asked, "Now what?" "What do you mean, now what?" "So, what are you going to do now that you have enough money to satisfy you?" He pulled out a checkbook and scribbled out a check for ten million dollars. He handed it to her. "I guess I will go to school." She looked at the check in disbelief. She was now worth ten million dollars. She could buy a big house, a fancy car, and never have to work a day in her life. She felt unhappy, but couldn't put her finger on it. "What? You aren't satisfied yet?" She was silent for a moment as she explored her feelings. She wondered what she would do once she left here. She had always been ambitious, but now the goal of her ambition had been taken from her. "I guess not." "So I guess that money isn't the source of satisfaction that you thought it would be. Pity, you have enough of it that you should be satisfied." "I guess not." "Satisfaction is difficult to achieve. It requires that you know what your needs are and to understand the source of your desires." The student looked at the check. She couldn't believe what she was about to do, but she knew that the check meant nothing to her. She tried to hand it back to John, "I can't take it." "Yes you can. Maybe when you graduate, you will cash it and use it wisely." John looked at her, "I hope that you will have learned a little more about satisfaction by then." The student walked away after thanking him profusely. She noticed that the check was post dated for the date that she would graduate. She stood across the room looking at him in shock. She put the check in her pocket. John smiled as another student approached him. The student asked, "What level of education do you have?" "I have a doctorate in physics," replied John. He was often surprised when people didn't associate him with the invention of the Fusion Battery or the Fusion Cell. "Almost all of the Druids have advanced degrees. Why?" "To advise others, you must know more than they do." "You said that before. Who do you advise?" "The FBI and the Atomic Energy Commission." "Oh," replied the student. He had found it incredible that these people were so powerful and he had never heard of them. He thought he kept up with current events. It was strange that he hadn't recognized any of the individuals. "Did you ask other Druids that question?" "Yes, I did. They all are active advisors to some government agency." John asked, "Who do they advise?" "I found Druids that advise the army, the navy, the IRS, the CIA, NASA, the President, Congress, and the National Science Foundation." "That is a pretty impressive group, wouldn't you say?" "Yes." John smiled, "Any other questions?" "No, sir. Thank you for answering my questions." John watched as the students walked around asking various questions of the Druids. Most of the questions were simple, but a few were tough. More than one Druid answered that he didn't know the answer. That answer tended to surprise the students. There were questions all Druids refused to answer. One such question concerned the nature of their meeting with the God or Goddess they served. He spotted Kelly across the room and waved to her. Ed was standing near her and turned around at a word from her. Ed waved back. He wondered where little Beth was. He knew Beth would be with Ling or Linda, but he had no idea where they had settled. When the hour had finished, John called the room back to order. "Students, please return to your original locations. Druids, you may leave now." It took several minutes for the students to gather in front of him. The Druids didn't take half that long to leave the room. Individually each one turned and left the room at their own pace. He turned back to the students and smiled, "I shall lead you to your new quarters. You will find that all of your needs shall be taken care of while you are here." He led the students into a hallway between the administration building and the first-year dorm rooms. When all of the students had entered the hallway, John stopped and turned around. The doors behind the students closed. As his medallion started to get warmer, John stated, "Okay, along the walls you will find boxes. Would you please take a box right now?" The students went over to the wall and each picked up a large box. Inside the large box was a single pen. They looked at it and then looked back at John. John stated, "Please put all of your personal items in the box and sign your name on it. Remember to keep your wristbands with your student ID card attached to it." The students emptied their pockets, putting everything into the box. John waited for all of the students to finish writing their names on the boxes. When they were done, he stated, "Please put all of your personal items in the box." Most of the students stood around doing nothing. One or two students added their watches and jewelry to the box. John still waited. The students looked impatient. John stated, "Please, put all of your personal items in the box." None of the students moved. One of the students finally spoke up, "We have sir." "You still have your clothes. Put them in the box." Several of the students objected, "No way am I getting undressed here!" John waited for the noise to die down. This is when he expected to lose at least ten students. His medallion grew hotter as he stated, "If that condition is so objectionable to you, you may leave. The back door on the right side is open. We will take your name down and withdraw you from the school." Four students, three females and one male, left while the others shifted around uncomfortably. He was surprised that only four students left. He realized their desperation made them stay. It took several minutes, but students began disrobing and putting their clothes into the boxes. None were comfortable with being naked and most of the males sported erections by the time they were naked. Those that didn't were visibly afraid and shaking. Some of the women were visibly excited while most were blushing with extreme embarrassment. John waited patiently for them to finish. When all of the students in the hallway were naked, John led them into the dorm. They shuffled behind him very uncomfortable in their nudity. The men did their best to hold the box so that it covered their erections. The women hugged the boxes vertical to cover their breasts and lower areas. There was a room right beside the entrance to the dorm. John led the students into the room. He stated, "Pick a cage and put your box inside it. Close the cage and take the key. Add the key to your wristband." He led the students out of the room. As each student left the room, he checked that they had wristband with a key on it. He went in the room and made sure that each cage was locked. He went out of the room and locked the door. The students milled around while trying to cover themselves with their hands. Some students hid behind other students, but that was often a source of irritation between students. Men and women felt uncomfortable with a man standing behind them with an erection. He went over to a printer where a number of pages had already been printed. He pick up the first page, "When I call out your student identification number, please come up here and get your itinerary. I'll only call out the last three numbers of your id. Student 001." The student came up and received a sheet of paper from John. It had a dorm room number and the schedule of classes. The student read the schedule of classes with a sinking feeling in his stomach. It was an aggressive schedule and one that would keep him busy. Even the weekends were busy with several counseling sessions and study groups assigned. John announced each student id until he had gone through the whole stack of papers. Each student came up and collected their paper. Finished with that task, John looked around at the students. Several of them had moved to chairs and sat down while they examined their schedules. John stated, "Okay everyone. This room is the commons. You will notice that there are plenty of chairs for you to sit in." One of the students raised their hand. When John called upon the student, he was asked, "When do we get clothes?" "At the end of the school year." His answer was met with total silence among all of the students. The males looked at the females realizing that they would be seeing them naked for the next year. By now, all of the men were sporting erections. The females looked at the males, suddenly feeling like they were at a meat market. John made a statement, "Gentlemen, I know that many of you are feeling a little horny right now. You may relieve yourself using your hand. We ask that you use tissues to collect any spent semen, as leaving semen around is not a healthy practice. You may also ask someone to provide you with relief. However, failure to accept a no answer from anyone will result in immediate expulsion from the school and rape charges shall be filed against you. We have a zero tolerance rule. Ladies, if you feel that someone is being overly aggressive in an attempt to get you to say yes, let us know and the problem will end." "Let's go to the dorm rooms." John led the students to the stairs. They went up the stairs to the next floor. The room they entered contained tables spread around the room, each large enough to support a study group. He stopped and turned to the students behind him. "This is the study hall." He then led them down to the hall with the dorm rooms. He pointed to an open doorway at the end of the hall. "Through the door down there are the toilets, sinks, showers, and bathtubs. There are other bathrooms scattered around the area." He knew the students were expecting to be segregated by gender, but they were in for a big surprise. Reaching the first room, he shouted, "All of those in dorm room number 100, please come up here and get a key." Two females and two males stepped forward to get keys. When they saw they were sharing a room with the opposite gender, all of them blushed. The other students noticed and this sparked a lot of discussion among them. John ushered them into the room. The men and women looked at each other uncomfortably. John called into the room, "We'll meet in the commons when the bell rings." The two men and women inside the dorm room stared at each other. Inside the room were a small cabinet, four beds, and four desks with chairs. The desks were in the corners of the room. There was a computer on each desk. Opposite the door was the small cabinet with a printer on top of it. Opening the doors showed that there was spare ink and paper stored inside. Pairs of beds were placed along the long wall with the headboard against the wall. The women, with a single glance at each other, claimed one side of the room. An uneasy silence descended upon the occupants. When the bell rang, all of the students left their dorm rooms in a subdued mood. The study area filled quickly. John pointed to a room off to the side, "That room is the kitchenette. It is stocked with soft drinks, chips, candies, frozen dinners, and other things that you may want to eat or drink. There are tables, microwaves, and coffee makers. You may go in there anytime, day or night. It is always open. The room next door to it contains school supplies. You will find books, notebooks, pens, paper, erasers, rulers, staplers, and anything else that you can think of." A student raised their hand, "Uh, how are we to pay for this stuff?" "As I stated earlier, your needs will be provided for you while you are students here. Everything here is free. Just go in and take what you need. It is refilled every night. If there is something that you would like stocked, please write it on the bulletin board and we'll do our best to get it for you. We will not stock alcohol; you are here to learn and not to party." John pointed to the stairs leading up to the cafeteria. He stated, "If you'll follow me, I'll show you where you will take your meals." John led the students up the stairs. Even as they climbed, they could smell the aroma of food. At the top of the stairs, John waited for the rest of the students to catch up. He smiled, "This is the dining room. Today we are having a buffet because it is your first day. Normally, we have a ten-page menu from which you may select your meal. We allow an hour and a half for each meal. After you load up your plates, you can examine the menu. You will notice that it ranges from hamburgers all the way to lobster." "You are free to relax for the rest of today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow. Your instructors will come the first day of classes to take you to the classrooms. Until then, you may meet your fellow classmates." "Are there any questions?" One student decided to put him on the spot, "If we have to be naked, why don't you?" John looked at the student for a moment and then removed his robe. The act brought gasps from the students. He had revealed a body that was horribly scarred. He was also one of the few males that didn't have an erection. He stated, "I want you to understand the need for nudity. You have to learn to accept yourself and those around you. It is very difficult to lie when you do not have any clothes. Many of you have been raised that nudity is wrong. Yet, as you will discover, there is nothing wrong with nudity. It harms no one." "Some of you will feel that you are ugly. I offer my body as an extreme example of scarring. No one in this room can compare in terms of the number and degree of scarring that I have. Am I embarrassed by them? No. Each one represents the rescue of someone in trouble. One of my lovers called them my medals of valor." "Now other parts of my body are not perfect. I personally don't care if you find me attractive. I like my body. That is the perfect attitude for you to take about your appearance. No matter how you look, there will be those who find you attractive." John cleared his throat, "You will notice an extreme lack of privacy here. That is intentional. You will find that you have many beliefs that have been instilled in you that prevent you from being yourself. You have also become used to having artificial barriers designed to protect your privacy and that of others. You shall have to learn how to respect the privacy of others without such barriers. This means that your first few days here will make you very uncomfortable." "There shall be numerous counselors available to you over the weekend. If you truly have any problems with program here, please talk to them. In fact, plan to talk with them. They are here to help you feel more comfortable with the your new life here. You will be surprise how effective five minutes of conversation with one of them will be." John looked around the room at all of the students gathered there. Some young men had been sporting erections for over an hour. They were clearly in pain. He wondered how long it be take before some of them to went off to quietly relieve themselves. He stated, "I suggest that many of you take the opportunity that the long food line represents to find a place where you are comfortable to relieve yourself. Many of you look very uncomfortable. You might ask one of your students to help you, but remember that no means no. Ladies, you might consider offering to help some of the men out with their problems." It was funny watching the people look around, none of them wanting to be the first to leave. He decided to move things along, "You are free to eat or do anything you want. The buffet will be here for two hours. Have fun." The students slowly moved towards the food. Several students discretely left the area, heading for the bathrooms. John knew they would be shocked by the lack of privacy they provided. There was only one bathroom to serve both men and women. The toilets were separated by a half wall that tended to leave one feeling exposed. He expected several more students to request to leave before the night was over. ------- Chapter 20 The middle of the afternoon is a quiet time in the living quarters of the President of the College. John, the President, was on his back, in the middle the living room. Little Beth, now four years old, was curled up inside one arm and little John, now three years old, was curled up inside the other. All three of them were asleep. Ling and Kelly stood at the door watching them. Ling whispered, "It's hard to be a mother when the fathers spend all their time with the kids." Kelly giggled, "Yes it is. Still, I can't believe how much Ed and John enjoy them." "So how do we wake him without waking the kids?" "We'll take the kids to their room and put them to bed there." The two mothers went into the living room and picked up the children. Each child woke briefly when they were picked up, but fell back to sleep immediately. The mothers carried them to their bedroom. John jumped up looking around for the children. He relaxed when he saw the mothers walking away with them. John looked at the clock and saw what time it was. He headed out to the administration building. He was supposed to go over the security records. They had detected several people moving around their property, but no one had been able to locate them. Ling returned from the bedroom. Kelly stayed to watch the kids. John and Ling went to the security center. There was no need for conversation; they were both familiar with the current situation. Ling was mentally returning to her role as security specialist. They reached the security center. They entered in the midst of significant excitement. John walked over to the monitor and looked at the situation. There were two blips moving through the property. John looked over the detailed map of the property. He ran his finger over the course taken by the two blips. He ran his fingers further along and thought about the time it would take the blips to reach that point. He turned to Ling, "Stay here. I'm going to see who they are." John left the room and headed off into the forest. He moved quickly and quietly. He wanted to make sure that he reached a point well ahead of the intruders. The soft floor of the woods dampened his steps. He circled around so that his path wouldn't be in their way. It took him ten minutes to reach the location that he had mapped out. He slipped down and wrapped the cloak around his body. He went motionless, waiting for the intruders. It took five minutes for the wildlife to return and act normally. John sat still watching the birds move from limb to limb as they went about their business. He watched a squirrel move around on the ground. It felt good to be back in the midst of nature. After a few minutes, the squirrel started to act strange. He watched as it moved to a tree. As the squirrel moved around the tree, John looked to the area from which the squirrel would be hidden. Two people were moving slowly through the woods. They were wearing dark green outfits with soft leather boots that laced up their legs. Moving silently, they were totally alert to their surroundings. John could see no weapons other than knives on their hips. They didn't look like the average hikers. When they came closer, John could tell that it was a man and a woman. The man stopped and knelt down pointing at something on the ground. The woman knelt beside him and looked. In a very quiet voice he asked, "What is it?" Equally quiet, she replied, "Scat from a fox." "How old is it?" "The scat has been here about half an hour." John listened impressed with the level of knowledge the two people had of the natural environment. Rather than announcing himself, he chose to wait and see what he could learn. "What did it eat?" The woman removed her knife from her belt. At a nod from the man, she used the knife to break apart the scat. She looked at it for a moment. She used the knife to point to parts of the scat as she answered, "It has eaten a grasshopper, a garter snake, and a baby mouse." The man nodded, "When the fox shits again, what will be in it?" "The rest of the mouse." "Very good. What direction did it go?" The woman looked around for a second. She used the knife to point in a direction away from John, "It went that way. It looks like it was startled by something." The man nodded again. He looked around the area taking in his surroundings. He could see nothing that would have caused the fox to flee, but he asked the woman anyway. "What startled it?" John answered, "Probably me." The man and the woman jumped as though they had been shot. John stood and faced the pair. He asked, "Who are you?" The man answered, "I'm Ranger Albert Mandel. This is my student, Cindy Carpenter. Who are you?" "I'm the Grand Druid, John Carter." "You are good at stealth. I did not see or hear you." "You are good at stealth. My people looked for you three days ago and couldn't find you." "Ah, the man with the bear. He was very good. It took all of our skill to avoid them and we were chased off the property." Albert examined John carefully. He looked around, "It makes sense that Druid land would have a lot of animal and plant life on it. You even have several endangered species here." John smiled, "They are under our protection. That is why we made such an effort to find you." "That is our job, as well. We watch over the species here to make sure they are not threatened. We were worried when the construction started here." John nodded, "We were careful. We even transplanted several rare species of plants to our green house. They have been returned to the grounds around the school." "That is good." John shouted, "It's alright Ling. You can come over here." Albert turned and looked down the path as Ling appeared behind them. He smiled, "I had just heard her. She is very good too." Ling deftly reached out and took the knife out of the hand of Cindy as she walked past the woman. Cindy was shocked at the speed at which Ling's hand had moved when it had taken the knife. She glared at the woman. John stated, "Ling give her back her knife." Ling shook her head and said, "She should have used it or put it away. She's lucky I didn't use it on her. If it had been pointed at you, I would have." John shook his head at the logic and said, "Give it back to her." Ling grudgingly handed the knife back in the proper fashion by holding the blade. She didn't release it until the woman, in a strained voice, stated, "Thank you." The woman slid the knife into her sheath and then looked at Ling with a slight bit of anger. "Are you satisfied?" Albert snapped, "CC, stop it. She was well within her rights." The woman immediately answered, "Yes, sir." Ling moved beside John and looked at the pair. John broke the tension, "Would you like to come back with us to the school?" The Ranger was about to decline, but he happened to look at Ling. Her look suggested that it would be best to accept. He slowly nodded and answered, "Yes. That would be nice." John headed toward the school followed by the Ranger and his student. Ling brought up the rear. As they walked, John stated, "You walk Indian style; on the balls of your feet with your toes pointed inwards." "You are extremely observant. It helps to walk quieter through the woods." John nodded. "I know. Robert White Feather told me the same thing." The rest of the walk was in silence. They approached the administration building. Albert stopped and pointed to a plant. He asked, "CC, what kind of plant is this?" She answered, "I don't know." He smiled, "Draw it and look it up later." He stood and looked at John. "Sorry, I had to take the opportunity for her to see that plant. They're very rare." John smiled and pointed to a small garden, "There's about a thousand of them over there." Albert walked over to the patch that John had pointed out. A small brass plate gave the name of the plant. He stared at the garden open mouthed, "How? There are more here than I thought existed in the entire state." John smiled, "Our horticulturist is very talented. I shall arrange a tour of the gardens for you. I'm sure he will be more than happy to talk with someone that knows plants as well as you." Ling watched over the woman as she drew the plant. She glanced at the drawing pad and noted that the woman was a good artist. It didn't take her nearly as long to draw the plant as Ling predicted. As the woman stood up, Ling stated, "They are over there." The woman, followed by Ling, joined the two men at the garden. The woman stated, "Very impressive garden. A little too orderly for my taste, though." Albert laughed, "The order is to allow a very weak species freedom from competition." John led the group into his office in the administration building. Rather than sitting behind his desk, he sat at a table while inviting the others to join him. Ling stood to the side for a moment. She said, "I'll go check on Little John." John smiled as he said, "go ahead. I'll be taking our guests to the first year dining room after we are done here." Ling nodded, "I'll let the others know not to expect you. I will send Ed over, though." After Ling left the room, Cindy stated, "She's rather protective of you." John laughed, "She's one of the best security people in the country and takes great pride in her abilities. She doesn't want anything to happen to her husband." Albert carefully looked around the office taking in details. The furniture was made of wood. Every thing about the room spoke of permanence. He knew that if he were to walk in this room a hundred years from now, everything would still be there. Cindy sat at the table fidgeting, uneasy in the room. She was made even more nervous by the assessing stare that John gave her. John stated, "You need to learn to relax in unfamiliar surroundings." She replied, "I'm fine." John laughed, "Right. You haven't even bothered to take in your surroundings as your instructor is doing. He'll be able to come in here a year from now and notice if anything has changed." "John, you are extremely observant," replied Albert. He turned to the woman. "CC, listen to him. Even in this setting, the skills that you use in the forest should remain with you. You should observe everything." Cindy answered, "Yes sir." The men waited while Cindy looked around the room. When she returned her attention to John, he asked, "What did you notice?" "There's a lot of wood in this room." John smiled, "What do you think of that?" "You killed a lot of trees to decorate this room," she replied with a certain amount of venom in her voice. Smiling, John turned to Albert. "Your comment?" Albert stated, "Everything in this room will last two hundred years, possibly more, if it is treated properly. The craftsmanship is the best that I've ever seen. If all furniture was made this well, the forests would be safe forever." "Huh?" Albert answered, "This room is decorated in solid wood. It is polished to an extremely good shine. The craftsman that made this furniture made it to last. No trees will be killed for generations to decorate this room. That is the way you should use natural resources. When you use them, you should use them so that they last forever." "Oh." "CC, you may not realize with whom you are talking. This is John Carter. He's the inventor of the Fusion Battery and the Fusion Cell. They are the two most environmentally kind innovations in the history of man." Cindy's eyes went wide as she looked at John. There was a short rap on the door and Ed entered the room. He sat down at the table facing the two visitors. He stated, "I'm Ed Biggers." John introduced the visitors, "Ed, this is Albert Mandel and Cindy Carpenter." Ed nodded. "Ling told me their names already. So, you are Rangers?" Albert nodded, "I am a Ranger. She is my student." John stated, "I am not familiar with the Rangers. Can you tell me about them?" Albert looked at Ed for a second. There was something about Ed that gave him the feeling that this was more than just a friendly conversation. He answered, "About twenty years ago, a number of us were worried about the environment. We felt that most environmental organizations had no clue how nature worked. They had this idealized Walt Disney view of nature with Thumper and Bambi talking and having afternoon tea." John laughed at the image. He remembered the encounter he had with an animal rights activist that wouldn't accept that Rover was a wild animal that was where he was by choice. He nodded for Albert to continue. Albert said, "We decided that we wanted to make a real difference beyond protesting. We knew that we had to do it differently. We would learn about nature first and come to grips with it before we started pointing fingers at who was to blame for the current environmental crisis." "We went to virgin forests that hadn't been touched in a hundred years. We found that wildlife in some areas were not as dense as we had imagined. In most cases, it wasn't because of humans, but because that was the amount of wildlife that could be supported. We are now working to help wildlife balance itself. We make detailed surveys of the wildlife in various areas of the country. We give the results to Game and Wildlife Departments to help establish optimal hunting limits." John listened attentively, nodding occasionally. "Where do you get your funding?" "We function mostly off government grants." Ed licked his lips, "So you aren't considered a eco-terrorist organization?" "No. That doesn't work. We do little things, like put small protective tents around the nests of endangered birds to keep predators from getting to them. We put up signs warning people of endangered habitats. We report illegal dumping and help clean them up." Ed looked to John and nodded, "He speaks the truth as far as he knows it." "Does he and his serve the Goddess?" Ed frowned before ansering, "Only by their deeds." John looked out the window. He stood up and walked over to the desk. He pushed the intercom button. "Ask Sid and Al to come here." He returned to his seat. Albert watched John, attempting to figure out what was happening. John's face gave no hints. They were disturbed by the entry of a small girl into the room. John looked at Beth, "What's the matter, Beth?" "I had a strange dream." John nodded, "Strange dreams can be scary, but you don't have to be afraid of them." Beth answered, "I dreamed a first year student was in the forest. She was real pretty." Ed looked at John with a funny expression on his face. John smiled at Beth. "Wow, you dreamed of a pretty lady in the forest. Did you talk with her?" "Yes." "That's great. What did you talk about?" Beth smiled, "We talked about Mommy Kelly. The pretty lady said that I would hear some bad news tomorrow, but that Mommy Kelly was going to be okay." "That's good. Did she say anything else?" "No. That's when I woke up." John lifted Beth onto his lap. "Did you like the dream?" "Oh yes. It was real pretty there. I hope to go back there one day." John hugged Beth. "I'm so glad you told me about your dream." Beth giggled, "Mommy Ling said that I had to tell it to you. I would have told you anyway." John tickled her for a second. She rolled around in his lap laughing. John finally set her down saying, "You better go find Mommy Ling now. She's going to worry about you." "Okay, Daddy John." She kissed him on the cheek. Then she went over to Ed and kissed him on the cheek. Ed reached down and picked her up. Planing a big kiss on her forehead, he told her, "I'll be right upstairs and we can have a tea party." She giggled, "Mommy Ling said I have to eat dinner." "Okay, I'll be up to join you for dinner." "Goody. I'll be waiting for you Daddy Ed." John and Ed watched her leave the room. The two men looked at each other. Ed stated, "Tomorrow the Goddess delivers her gift to Kelly." "Yes, I think so." "I'll go now." Ed stood and went to the door. He turned to Albert and Cindy, "It was a pleasure meeting you." He was gone before either could respond. Albert turned to John, "The little girl, is she your daughter?" "Yes." Cindy looked at John strangely for a minute. John gestured for her to ask her question. She blurted out, "She has two mommies and two daddies?" John laughed, "No. She has three moms and three dads. I have three wives and two husbands." Albert asked, "The dream. It was significant to you. Why?" "The Goddess promised Kelly the gift of a death experience. Beth dreamed of the Goddess to get the message that everything was going to be okay." The door to the office swung open as a black bear shuffled into the room. The bear went to an open space near John's desk and sat down looking at the people gathered in the room. It yawned as though bored with what it had seen. Albert and Cindy stared at the bear open mouthed. The silence in the room was broken by Al, "Oh my. We have a Ranger." John looked up at Al and asked, "You know of the Rangers?" "Sure, the whole forestry department knows about them. They're a good group." John asked, "Albert, would you please touch the medallion of Al?" Albert reached out and touched the medallion. He turned to John, "It tingles." John stated, "Thank you." Sid entered the room. He took one look at Albert and stated, "Ah, a Ranger and his student." "Does everyone know about the Rangers except me?" asked John. "I don't know about that. They've rescued some pretty significant rare plants." "Let's go eat." John's stomach growled to emphasize the point that he was hungry. He stood up and led the others to the dining room in the first year dorm. He wondered how Cindy would react to the naked students. They entered the dining room as a group and seated themselves at one of the larger tables. Cindy was staring at the eating utensils and trying not to look around. She was in a constant state of blush. John handed out the menu's. The group perused the menu. Cindy was glad to have something to look at. She was surprised that there were no prices on the menu. A woman, wearing only an apron, came over to the table to take their order. John looked up at her, "Helen, since when did you guys start dressing like that?" The waitress smiled, "A few of the students were not happy about us wearing clothes while they were nude. I figured what the hell. So, I took everything off except the apron. I still need to have the pockets." "You didn't need to do that." "I know. Just some of the shyer kids still feel a little uncomfortable." "It's your decision," replied John. He was pleased that some members of the staff were working to fit in with the students. Helen asked, "Do you want your normal soup and sandwich?" John nodded. He looked around the room at the students. He noticed that two students were arguing. He excused himself, "There's a minor crisis brewing over there. Let me take care of it." He went over to two students that were arguing. He asked, "What's the problem?" The woman stated, "He cheated on me!" The man was about the respond when John held up his hand. John asked, "What exactly did he do?" "He slept with another girl!" John turned to the young man. He ordered, "Please stand up and turn around slowly." The young man complied despite his confusion at the request. John looked over the young man's body very carefully. After the young man had finished turning, John stated, "Please sit down." John turned to the young lady, "I looked over every inch of his body. I didn't see a sign that said he was your property. He's free to sleep with who ever he wants." She spat out, "He hurt me. He broke the rules." "How did he hurt you?" "He violated my trust in him." "In what way?" "He slept with another girl." "Did he promise not to do that?" "No, but that was what I expected," replied the woman. John smiled, "So he violated an expectation that you held without telling him. Now you are hurt that your expectations were not met by him. Does that sound correct?" "Yes." "Now you want to make him feel bad." "Correct." John stated, "I can solve your problem very quickly. I've just decided that you are my property. My expectation is that no one can talk to you from now on. If anyone does, I'll kick them out of the school. If you talk to anyone, I'll come yell at you." The woman looked at John in shock. "You mean no one can talk to me?" "Right. That would violate my expectations and hurt me terribly." "You can't control my life that way." John smiled, "You can't control his life that way." "Oh," replied the woman. She looked at John for a minute and then at the young man. The young man shifted uncomfortably under her stare. "I understand. He didn't hurt me, I hurt me. I should have made my expectations clear from the beginning so that he could decide if he could meet them." John smiled and nodded. He turned to the young man and stated, "You are not entirely blameless in this." "Yes, sir." replied the young man. "What did you do wrong?" "I failed to make my expectations clear and that led up to this." John nodded. "Now talk about this between yourselves and then let other students know what you learned today." John returned to the table. His food had arrived and he sat down to eat. He took a bite and saw that Cindy was staring at him. When he swallowed, he asked, "You have a question?" "Yes. Why was she wrong in having her expectations?" John laughed, "She wasn't wrong in having them. She was wrong in not communicating them to her lover. She placed him in a position to hurt and be hurt. He was wrong in the same way." "Oh. Then why did you bring me in here without asking if I would be offended?" "Because offense is not the same as harming. Further more, it was to continue your education." Cindy stared at John as she asked, "Continue my education?" John smiled at Albert. Albert nodded back at John and then John explained, "You came in here, saw one naked person and stopped examining your environment. Your first reaction was to forget your training. You studied the table for ten minutes and then spent the next five studying the menu. You haven't even looked around the room yet." Cindy glared at John for a second and then answered, "Yes, sir. You're right." Albert asked, "Why are you so mad at John Carter?" "He keeps making me look like a fool and he's doing it on purpose." Al and Sid laughed aloud at that statement. Cindy shot a look at them and challenged, "What?" "You are talking to one of the greatest teachers of all time. He's literally taught thousands of people how to face up to their limitations and overcome them. He's been giving you opportunities to demonstrate what you are learning from your teacher and from him." Sid reached over and petted his bear. "Isn't that right Fluffy?" Albert stared at the Sid in horror. "You call him Fluffy?" John laughed, "That is the name the bear picked. No one was more shocked than Sid. I had a cougar named Rover. The animals pick their own name and won't answer to anything else." Al stated, "John, you have a family that needs you. I shall show our guests to the guestrooms. Sid, your bear probably wants to go out for a while." John and Sid left the table. Albert and Cindy watched him walk off. Albert turned to Al, "Is he always like that?" "Like how?" "So distant and yet so present. When he looks at you, you have his total attention. Then he looks away and suddenly you feel like you are alone in the world." Al nodded, "Yes. His whole family is like that. All of the Druids are like that. You have met Ed?" Cindy answered, "Yes. When he looks at you, you feel like your soul is being examined." Happy that his student had actually noticed the intensity of his examination by Ed, he congratulated her. "You noticed." For the first time since she had entered the college, Cindy smiled. ------- Chapter 21 John and Kelly stepped out the door of the administration building into the bright morning sun. The deep clear blue sky reached down to touch the soul. The clear air was cool and crisp. It carried the scent of trees and the aroma of the soil. Kelly stretched and smiled. She turned to John, "What a glorious day to be alive!" "Yes, it is a glorious day." She skipped to the end of the walkway and twirled around like a young girl. Her happiness was contagious. John raced down the walkway to catch her, intending to chase her into the woods for a little morning glory. He made five steps before a shot rang out, dropping him like a rock. Kelly screamed in anguish and ran to John. A second shot rang out, taking her in the shoulder. She spun around and fell to the ground. Without thought for herself, she crawled to John. A third shot rang out and caught her in the leg. This was followed by the roar of a bear and a scream of horror. Druids poured out of buildings all around the college, green and black robed Druids converging on where Kelly and John lay bleeding on the ground. Red robe Druids ran in the direction from which the shots had been fired. The apparent chaos turned quickly into a self-organizing order. The victims were immediately treated and then carried into the school hospital. The unconscious perpetrator was rescued from the bear and taken into a holding area to wait for the arrival of the local police. John had a team surrounding him. His wound wasn't bad. The bullet had grazed his forehead knocking him unconscious. His care took less than ten minutes, requiring only a few stitches. Two people remained with him to clean up the additional abrasions received from falling. Kelly was in far worse shape. She had lost a lot of blood and the bullet was still lodged in her shoulder. The surgical team was struggling to get the wound cleaned and the bullet removed. In the middle of the operation, Kelly's heart stopped. The team used the time to remove the bullet and sew up the artery. After less than three minutes, the team stepped back as a second team attempted to shock her heart back into working. The doctor in charge stated that she had been dead for three and a half minutes. The surgical team returned to working on her shoulder, removing bone fragments and checking for damage. The work was extensive and required tremendous concentration. A second surgical team turned their attention to the wound in her leg. The wound was a simple flesh wound that missed all of the major arteries and veins. It was quickly treated. The wound was wrapped and the team disbanded. The first team finished after four hours. They stepped back and examined the patient. She was getting a unit of blood. The wounds had been bandaged. The scrape she had received when she had fallen had been cleaned. Her heartbeat was regular. In a private room, Ed, Ling, and Sheriff Lundy stood looking at a thin man tied to a chair. He was completely naked. Unshaven and unkempt, they looked at an empty shell of a human being. The man was literally foaming at the mouth, spittle dripping from his lips. When he spoke, his statements were incoherent. "Can I kill him?" asked Ling. She entertained visions of cutting off his cock and watching him bleed to death. Ed replied, "That's not the Druid way." "I'm not a Druid," retorted Ling. There were times when all of the talk about Druids irritated her. She really wanted to hurt this guy. Sheriff Lundy stated, "No one is killing anyone. This individual is now in my custody." "He's insane now. I don't think he was insane when he took the shot, though." Ed knelt and looked at the man more carefully. He looked up, "Ling, could you ask one of the Druids to locate someone that can help us?" Frowning Ling muttered, "Okay. I still say you should just let me kill him." Laughing Ed shook his head, "Too easy. We will let the Gods and Goddesses take care of him." Ling left the office after shooting a dirty look at the man in the chair. She knew that he would have an insanity defense and get away with attempted murder of her husband and wife. She wished that Druids practiced human sacrifice. "She's a mean one when she's mad!" The Sheriff was extremely happy that she had left the room. If anyone had looked at him like that, he would never get another nights sleep. She was small, but he had dealt with some small people that could cause some major damage. "She's not mad. She's only upset. If she were mad, he'd be dead." The Sheriff laughed until he saw the look on Ed's face. His laughter died as he asked, "You're serious, aren't you?" "Very serious." "That's scary." Ed looked at the Sheriff, "We're lucky the bear got to him first. Ling was the third person to reach him. It took the first two people to hold her back, at least long enough for more to show up. It finally took five people to keep her from him." "He was stopped by a bear?" "Yes, Fluffy took him down and then sat on him until help showed up." The Sheriff looked at the captive for a moment. He stated, "I know why he's crazy. I think I would go crazy to have a bear sitting on my chest." Ed laughed, "You're probably right. We had to clean this guy up. He had shit and pissed on himself. His clothes are sealed in a plastic bag over there." "I'll have to take that as evidence." Ed nodded, "I know. We also have the gun. We left it where he dropped it. The car that he used to drive here is still parked where he had left it. We didn't touch anything. We figured that you would want to follow your own evidentiary procedures." "You seem familiar with handling evidence. Care to explain to me how you know so much?" The Sheriff didn't trust people that knew too much about his business. In many cases, it meant they were part of it. Pulling out his ID, Ed stated, "I'm a Treasury Agent." "Oh, I see." "Half of the red robed Druids are associated with law enforcement in one way or another. John, the intended victim, is a special agent with the FBI. The head man in this area should be arriving here any time now." "That explains why you have asked me to wait before taking the suspect out of here." The Sheriff had met John and Ed previously. He had harbored suspicions about them, particularly as they represented the heads of a cult that was moving into his jurisdiction. His queries into this group had all returned with nothing but praise. To find out that they held high positions in government surprised him. "Would you like to see the college while we are waiting for them?" The Sheriff thought about it. He had wanted to get a tour through the building for a long time, but had never found a reason. He felt that he couldn't leave the prisoner alone. "I would love to see your school, but I wouldn't feel right leaving him here alone." Ed laughed, "We'd never leave him alone, particularly with Ling around." Ed picked up a telephone and made a call. He spoke softly into the handset and then hung it up. He stated, "Would you trust a US Marshall with the task of watching your prisoner?" "Sure." "Okay. One is on his way down here now." There was a knock on the door and then Sid entered the room with Fluffy. He stated, "Excuse me, but Fluffy is still a little upset about earlier. I think he wants to look at the guy and make sure he won't hurt him back." The Sheriff stared at the bear while Ed nodded. Ed turned to Fluffy, "You're safe now. He's being watched constantly by us. The Sheriff will take him off to jail." The bear looked at Ed for a minute and then turned to stare at the Sheriff. The Sheriff swallowed heavily out of nervousness. The bear then turned around and left the room. Sid stated, "Thanks a lot for letting him get that out of his system. Maybe he can get a little rest now. It's not fun trying to take a nap when you have an upset bear in the room with you." "I understand." "Did he raise that from a cub?" Ed had to laugh, "No, the bear adopted him when his last bear got too old. One day, his previous bear wandered into the woods while this one wandered out. I think this is his seventh bear." "It's a wild bear?" "Yes." "Oh," replied the Sheriff. He sat back, realizing that dealing with these people was going to be a lot more challenging than he had anticipated. A solid knock on the door announced the entrance of Ted Harper. A very large man entered the room and nodded to Ed. Ed returned the nod. Ted held up a badge, "I'm Ted Harper, US Marshal." An hour later, an FBI agent arrived looking rather tired. He was shown into the college by one of the administrators and taken to a room to wait for Ed and the Sheriff. His wait was less than ten minutes. Ed performed the introductions, "Hello, I'm Ed Biggers and this is Sheriff Lundy." The man stood up and stated, "I'm Agent Haroldson. I received a call from the director himself that one of our agents was the subject of an attempted assassination. Can you fill me in on the details?" Ed nodded, "Follow me gentlemen and I'll lead you through the sequence of events such as we've been able to reproduce." Ed took the Sheriff and the FBI agent outside the building. He pointed to the small patch of blood on the ground. "This is where John fell when he was shot. It was a single shot to the head. Fortunately, the shot grazed his forehead and knocked him out." Ed took several steps forward to where there was a large spot of blood with a long thin trail of blood. "Kelly was shot here. The first shot appears to have been in her shoulder. She fell and was dragging herself to John when she was shot a second time." Ed then led them to where the suspect had been apprehended. Ed pointed to the site and pointed out three empty shell casings. "He fired three shots from here. The bear that took him down, came out of the woods over there." He pointed to the rifle. "The suspect fell down as the bear ran into him. The rifle flew over to there. We have not touched it." Ed then walked a hundred yards down the road to where a car was parked. "We assume this is the suspects car. He parked it here out of sight of the buildings and moved up to where he fired the shots." Agent Haroldson asked, "Excuse me, but who was the FBI agent that was wounded?" "John Carter." The blood ran out of the agent's face as he realized the magnitude of the situation. He fished out his cell-phone and made a call. He turned to the Sheriff, "Ah, I've called for additional agents to come out. They will collect evidence under your supervision, since this is your jurisdiction. John Carter happens to be one of the most well known agents in the FBI and we will do anything to make sure that justice is served." Shocked by the reaction of the FBI agent to John's identity, the Sheriff just numbly nodded. He stated, "Thanks." The agent turned to Ed, "I'm so sorry I didn't recognize your name earlier. I studied all of the cases solved by John. You were with him for the amputation murderer and the white slavery ring. You were also responsible for the Druids Revenge campaign against organized crime. My God, you two are legends." "Thanks, I appreciate your kind words. Now let's go to the infirmary and see how they are doing." Ed led them to the infirmary. Kelly was just wheeled out of surgery and John remained unconscious. Laura Anderson, the person in charge of the ward, stopped the visitors. Ed asked, "How are they doing?" "Kelly was dead for three and a half minutes, but her condition is stable now. We are worried about John. He should be conscious by now. We have ordered an ambulance to take him to the nearest large hospital where we can do a MRI." They were surprised by the arrival of Beth. Ed knelt down and picked her up. "Hey, Beth. What are you doing down here?" "I came to see Mommy Kelly and Daddy John." "You know both of them were hurt?" Beth looked at him with a funny expression, "Of course. I told you about my dream yesterday, Daddy Ed. The pretty lady in the forest said that I would hear bad news about Mommy Kelly, but she was going to be okay. I dreamed about the pretty lady again and she told me that Daddy John was visiting her and would return when Mommy Kelly woke him up." Ed looked up at Laura, "Cancel the ambulance." Laura just stared at Beth. With a shaky voice, she asked, "Do you know the lady in the forest?" Beth looked at her, "Of course, she's a first year student!" "Why do you say that?" "Silly, she doesn't ever wear clothes." Ed nodded at Laura. He gave Beth a great big hug and then set her down. "Beth, why don't you go look at Kelly and John?" "Okay," Beth smiled and skipped down to where the beds were located. When she was gone, Laura asked, "Does she see the Goddess often?" Ed nodded, "She sees her in her dreams. You will notice that she doesn't act four. Her brother dreams about the God. He doesn't act three." Agent Haroldson and Sheriff Lundy looked around uncomfortable about the topic of discussion. The Sheriff leaned over the agent, "I think they live in a different world." The Agent laughed, "I think you are right." Beth returned from visiting the patients. She looked at the FBI agent for a second and then stated, "You are from the FBI. Did you ever work with Daddy John?" "No, I've never had the privilege." Beth stood there for a moment, "You will. There's a big piracy out there. He's going to need your help to stop the bad guys." Ed looked over at Beth, "A big piracy? I don't think that is the word you mean." She frowned, "What is the word when bad people get together to figure out how to do bad things?" "Oh, conspiracy," answered Ed. He smiled and wondered how many four-year-olds could even get close to that word. Beth nodded, "A big conspiracy." Agent Haroldson looked at Beth and asked, "How do you know?" Beth put her hand on her hip in a very adult gesture, "It is his last task to perform before he goes to live with the Gods and Goddesses forever." The agent looked at Beth with a strange expression. Ed went over to Beth and hugged her. "Beth, you have to promise me that you won't tell any of your other Mommies and Daddies a word about that. Okay?" "Sure Daddy Ed. Can I go now?" Ed hugged her tightly, "Yes, go play with your brother." "I'm going to go play with the first years. One of them is teaching me mathematics." "What's your brother going to do?" Beth shrugged, "He's still learning to read." Ed tickled her, "Check with Ling before you go off by yourself. Otherwise the tickle monster is going to find you." "Yes, Daddy," replied a giggling little girl. She skipped out of the infirmary. The FBI agent and the Sheriff returned from observing Kelly and John. Ed stated, "I'll take you to the suspect." He took them up to the private room where the suspect was being held. The man was still in the same shape. Another Druid, wearing a black robe, was present in the room. He turned to Ed, "He's been touched by the God. He won't ever recover." Ed nodded, "Well, Sheriff. I guess we won't learn anything from him. He's all yours." The sheriff stated, "I need to get some clothes for him. I can't take him in naked." Ed nodded, "We can get a maintenance coverall for him to wear." Ed took care of that detail. While he was getting the coveralls, the other FBI agents arrived and started collecting the evidence. They dressed the suspect and the sheriff took him away. Ed stated to the Agent Haroldson, "If we hurry, we can still get lunch." "Sounds good to me." They went to the dining room in the first year dorm. Albert and his student were seated at a table eating their lunch. Ed and Agent Haroldson joined them. Ed stated, "I'm sorry about not getting in touch with you earlier. John was shot this morning and things have been rather chaotic here." Albert looked surprised, "He was shot?" "Yes," replied Ed. He added, "We don't know the motive. The assassin is completely insane. The FBI are going through the evidence even as we speak to see if they can determine what was going on." Albert nodded, "Sounds like a good plan. I know John wanted to talk with me. It might be better if I came back at a later time." Ed stated, "I have an idea of what John wanted to discuss with you. He wanted to find out if there was anyway that we could help you in your work. We have many different mechanisms for providing funding. John can do it personally, through the Druid College, or through the Fusion Foundation." Albert said, "That would be very good. We can use a more permanent source of money for our operations." Ed nodded and then said, "He also wants to extend an invitation for you to have a small area of the campus for class rooms for your students like CC. It is his hope that you'll have someone that will help train students of the college as well." "I'll have to think about it. It does add a bit to our operating costs." Ed nodded in understanding. He said, "That won't be a problem. John had mentioned setting aside a hundred million in a trust fund. There are a number of restrictions associated with this fund since your organization is very different from ours." Albert looked at Ed in shock and said, "A hundred million?" Ed shrugged and answered, "That would cover operating costs of five million a year in perpetuity. That money would be separate from the other funding that he was talking about. This is targeted solely at training. I believe he is planning on using his own money for that." Cindy looked shocked, "I knew he was rich, but that's amazing." Ed stated, "Actually, he gives away almost 98% of his income." "You're not kidding, are you?" asked Agent Haroldson. "I very seldom kid and never about serious subjects. John has very little use for money. His greatest pleasure comes from watching the sunrise and sunset. He takes care of his basic needs, supports his family, and gives away the rest of his money." A shocked expression spread across Cindy's face. She pointed to a table a short distance away, "Is that couple over there doing what I think they are doing?" Ed looked in the direction she pointed and turned back. He smiled, "Yes. I do believe that she's giving him some relief." "Aren't you going to stop them?" "Their actions are not harming anyone. I would be imposing on them if I asked them to stop." Cindy turned and watched the couple. Despite her embarrassment, she was fascinated by the total concentration each had for the other. She wished that she could find someone that would focus on her needs as much as the woman was focusing on the needs of the man. Her breasts ached and she found herself growing increasingly horny. Ed noticed, "If you would like some relief yourself, you could ask someone to help you out." Cindy's head swiveled, "What? Are you serious?" "Yes." "No thank you." She wasn't about to be serviced in public. Sex was something that was private. Helen arrived and took their orders. Ed had a simple hamburger and fries. Agent Haroldson ordered a steak. Cindy looked at him and was about to comment, but stopped herself. She looked at Albert and he shook his head. She thought about it and realized that any comment would not have been received nicely by anyone at the table. Ed would have stated that his order hurt no one. Agent Haroldson would have been hurt by her comment. Albert would have been disappointed in her for not having learned another lesson. She thought about what lesson she should have learned. Ed noted the exchange, "So what lesson are you learning here?" "If someone is doing something that harms no one, then you have no right to ask them to stop?" "Very good. Believe me, it is a very hard lesson to truly master. It takes most of our students two years to really understand it. These students have been experiencing that lesson for nine months and still fail to apply it properly. Believe me when I say that their experiences have been very intense. We have stripped away all privacy. In fact, this is probably the most private place that couple could have found to engage in that act." Cindy smiled at the praise. There hadn't been much of that during her stay here. It made her realize something else. "You live that way every day." "Yes. It actually leads to a very peaceful and tranquil life. Our first set of students has over ninety people in it. You never hear an argument in their dorm. It is one of the most peaceful places you can find. That doesn't mean that they are serious all the time. They laugh and tell jokes. They play games in their free time." "What kind of games?" "I think that kick the can is their favorite right now. John taught it to them one afternoon. It gives you a chance to run, hide, and act young again." "Do you play?" asked a confused Cindy. This guy was in his forties and talked about playing games. "Oh, yes. I couldn't live without playing games occasionally. My personal favorite is Hunt the Bug Eyed Monsters. My husbands and I play that with the kids all the time. The wives really enjoy watching us. They laugh and giggle at our antics. Of course, we have extensive tea parties with little Beth." "Your husbands?" "Yes. I have two husbands and three wives. We have two kids and another two on the way." Cindy was about to make a comment about polygamy, but chose not to say a word about it. Instead, she asked, "Don't you think that playing children's games undermines your authority?" "What authority?" "You're a leader." "No. I go my way and some people think that is a good way to go. Would you lose respect for Albert if you were to find him on the floor playing go-fish with a child? No, you respect him for what he is teaching you." Cindy nodded. She looked over to where the woman had been giving head to the man. Now the woman was sitting there with her legs spread while the man was eating her out. She felt a twinge in her pussy and blushed as though she was sure that everyone would know what she was feeling. She stood up, "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom." Ed chuckled and pointed to a door. "It is over there." Albert looked questionably at Ed. Ed waited a moment for Cindy to get out of hearing range, "She's going to be surprised in there. It's a unisex bathroom." Albert laughed, "She's used to that. Hikers have to get used to having a common toilet pit." "There are no privacy partitions in this one." "Oh my. She's going to scream." Ling showed up holding Beth's hand. She frowned at Ed and asked, "Do you know where little John is?" "No." "He's missing." Ed called out, "Has anyone seen little John lately?" A student that was reading a book at a nearby table looked up and stated, "He's in the library reading a book." Ling stared at the student as he returned to reading his book and then glared at Ed. It was hard to watch the two kids alone. With John and Kelly in the infirmary and Ed dealing with the law enforcement people, she couldn't keep track of them. She stated, "Could you watch Beth for a moment?" "With great pleasure," Ed answered. He turned to Beth, "Come on over here Beth." Beth climbed up on Ed's knee. "Hello Daddy Ed. I see you are talking to the Ranger." "Yes, I am Beth." He looked up at Ling and stated, "When you find little John, why don't you leave him with me? You can go down to the infirmary and watch over John and Kelly. Or, you might get a little rest." Hardly able to contain her anger, Ling looked at Ed as if she wanted to hit him. He looked back at her with an easy calm look. Her anger deflated, "I'm sorry. I blame myself for their current condition. I should have been able to do something." "It is hard to carry the weight of your own actions on your shoulders, much less the weight of the rest of the world. You are not to blame for what happened and there was no way that you could have prevented it. I know of nothing else to say to relieve you of your anger." Ling softened a little. She was always amazed at how John and Ed could say the right thing at the right time. She smiled, "Thanks." "In case I haven't said so lately, I love you." A tear came to Ling's eye. She smiled, "I love you too." Beth watched Ling walk away. She turned to the FBI agent, "Do you have someone that needs beaten up?" "We don't beat up people." "Mommy Ling needs to fight with someone. Maybe you have someone that would like to fight her. She would like that." Agent Haroldson laughed and answered, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't have any agents here that like to fight." Beth turned to Ed, "Daddy, when little John comes here, can we go with Annie to her class?" "Which one is Annie?" "She's the one coming out of the restroom with the other Ranger." Beth pointed to the two women walking their way. They were accompanied by a young man that was smiling happily. Cindy arrived and noticed the attention her arrival had generated. She turned to her companions and as a blush spread across her face as she stated, "Thank you so much for your assistance." The young man smiled and answered, "My pleasure." Beth grabbed Annie, "When little John comes here, can we go to your class with you?" Annie smiled, "You really like algebra?" Beth's face lit up with a glowing smile. "Oh, yes. It is amazing. Little John will probably want to read, but I will listen." "Your parents will have to say that it is okay." Ed smiled and asked, "Does John normally give you permission to take her to class with you?" "Yes, he does," replied Annie. She added, "Beth comes to my class almost every day." The discussion was interrupted by the arrival of Laura from the infirmary. She stated, "Kelly has woken up. I tried to keep her in bed, but she, uh, insisted on giving John a blowjob. It appears to have woken him up. I don't suggest bothering Kelly with questions, but John is alert and wide awake." Beth giggled and said, "That sounds like Daddy John." Ling arrived with little John. Ed stated, "good news, Ling. Kelly and John are both awake. Apparently, they were very horny as the very first thing Kelly did was give John a blowjob." Annie asked, "Is it alright if they come with me to class?" Ed smiled after a glance at Ling. He answered, "Sure." He turned to Ling and said, "I think you forget that you have seven hundred willing baby sitters around here. Now go visit your husband and wife in the infirmary and relax, my love." ------- Chapter 22 John looked at the calendar in front of him. It was three weeks to Midwinter's day. The graduating class would present themselves to the Gods and Goddesses on Midsummer's day. He checked his schedule. Today he was to help shutdown a number of radical organizations that were behind the assassination of a number of individuals that disagreed with their political agenda. These organizations included fundamentalists and environmental activists. A fundamentalist organization had been behind the assassination attempt on his life. John sighed. He talked to the wall, "So much to do and so little time." Ed had been about to enter the room and heard John talking. He asked, "Talking to the wall?" "Of course, it's healthier than talking to yourself." Ed laughed, "I guess it is important to know the difference." John signed again. He sat back watching Ed take the other chair in the room. A careless wave of his arm closed the door behind him. John stated, "Oliver Brown has obtained all three medallions. He can replace me now as Grand Druid." "I heard that he's arriving here tomorrow." "Yes, he's going to serve as my assistant." Ed stared at John for a moment, "John, don't lie to me. Beth, little John, Kelly, and I know what is going to happen. I'm not sure if William or Betsy knows. I do know that Ling, Linda, and Leroy are clueless." John sighed, "I know. I'll be happy when Linda and Leroy arrive with William and little Ed. I want a chance to spend some time with them." Ed nodded, "I've made arrangements for us to return to Arizona in September. That will let Beth and little John finish the year. They'll spend the next year with the family of Robert White Feather." "I'm not looking forward to this afternoon." "You are going to take down the Neo-Nazi organization?" John nodded, "They've bombed several churches, killed a couple of doctors that perform abortions, and have threatened the Native American College. Other agents are taking down the other organizations in other parts of the country." A sense of quiet settled in the room as the men thought about the events that would take place. The men were comfortable just sitting together in the room. They didn't need talk to fill in the silences. The silence was finally broken by a knock on the door. John stood up and answered the door. It was agent Haroldson arriving exactly on time. John invited him in, "Come in." Agent Haroldson entered the room and sat down in a chair. He turned to John, "You were right. He was the head of the organization. We arrested him and found the evidence of all the crimes." John nodded, "So has the call gone out?" "Yes, we updated the web page and send out the e-mail yesterday." "How did you know what to put on the page and in the e-mail?" The agent laughed, "We found their code book at the house." John shook his head, "It doesn't surprise me." "So are you ready to go?" John nodded. Ed stood up, "I'll be joining you." Agent Haroldson shrugged his shoulders, "That's fine with me." The three men left the campus in Agent Haroldson's car. John and Ed rode in the back. Agent Haroldson started a monologue as he drove, "The place we're going to is an old abandoned rock quarry. There's one road into it. They've used this meeting place many times in the past. We've put agents around the top of the quarry with two undercover agents at the gate. They would be suspicious if there weren't guards." John asked, "Are there any passwords that have to be exchanged at the gate?" Laughing, Agent Haroldson stated, "Yes. We found a book containing all of that information. The great thing about having secret codes and secret handshakes is that each person has to get a copy of them. It means written records." Ed stated, "Except when the codes are so simple that you can memorize them without difficulty." Agent Haroldson got silent. He asked, "Do you think there might be some codes like that?" "You can't always carry a code book with you where ever you go." John stated, "Have the first two people that arrive act as guards. It's a good idea no matter what. You have the real bad guys letting in the real bad guys. They know each other and will feel more comfortable having one of their own at the gate." Agent Haroldson got busy on the cell-phone making a call. It didn't take him long to convey the instructions to the agents that were waiting at the gate. After ending his conversation, he asked, "How come you think of these kinds of things?" "You just have to think like the most distrusting person in the world. Odds are, you aren't even close. Then you try to think crazy. You still won't be right. However, you will be a lot closer than if you try thinking like a rational person." The rest of the drive was in silence. They turned down a small dirt road about a mile from the rock quarry. They were able to watch cars pass on the way to the meeting place. A dozen cars were parked there. John did a little mental arithmetic and realized that there were probably fifty agents present. An agent came out of the woods and knelt next to the car. A whispered discussion took place between Agent Haroldson and the other agent. John tapped Agent Haroldson on the shoulder. "Excuse me, but we would like to watch from above the quarry." "Oh, I thought you would want to be down there in the action." John stated, "I'd rather move into the action from above. I don't like operating in an environment that I haven't scouted out." "I guess that makes sense." John stated, "Give me a walkie-talkie. We'll go over to there and scout out things. If I see a problem I'll turn it on and contact you." "Okay." John and Ed got of the car and slipped into the woods. Ten feet in, both agents lost track of them. They eased their way to the rock quarry. The path was rather easy to find, the agents before them had not tried very hard to hide their tracks. The agents were also not very attentive to noises behind them. John and Ed were able to easily slip up to one of the agents. They lay down beside him before he even realized that they were there. He almost shouted in surprise. John looked over the rock quarry. He realized that it looked bad for them. Individuals inside the quarry had no route of escape, but lots of cover. If they resisted, then any attempt to get them out of the quarry would result in massacre. They would have to shoot down at them since a frontal assault would leave the FBI agents totally exposed. Even worse, they had driven their trucks and cars into the quarry. They would be able to force their way out of any blockade that the agents might put up. John moved away from the edge of the rock quarry. Ed backed off as well to have a chance to talk with John. When he reached John, he whispered, "That looks really bad." John nodded, "I don't see how Agent Haroldson expected to accomplish the arrests." "I don't think that he even scouted the area." "Right. They have so much cover down there they could hold off an army in a frontal attack. They have their cars so it would be easy to force their way out the trap. We're expecting over a hundred of them." Ed nodded, "Very bad." John thought about the situation for a while. There had to be a way to impose some control on the guys below. John asked, "Do you think there is a way we can get them to leave there in some orderly fashion so that we can take them as they leave?" Ed shrugged, "Maybe there's something that an appropriate person could say to them." John and Ed smiled at each other. John got out the walkie-talkie and turned it on. He stated, "We need to get most of the agents together at the cars. I only want six agents at the rock quarry. There's a change in plan." John and Ed made their way back to the cars. Agent Haroldson frowned when the two men arrived. He asked, "What's the problem with our current plan?" John asked, "How do you expect to get them out of the quarry?" Agent Haroldson stated, "We were going to call down to them and let them know they were surrounded. Tell them to surrender." Ed laughed and said, "And then they drive off. What happens next?" Agent Haroldson replied, "They only have one way in. We put a road block there and they can't leave." "They have a hundred cars down there. They've even got some monster trucks down there that can flatten a car. They are going to go through your barricade like a hot knife through butter." Agent Haroldson stated, "Then we'll have to reinforce the barricade with more cars. They'll still be trapped." Ed snorted and said, "And then they open fire at you. What happens next?" "We return fire." John asked, "How many of them would you have to kill before they gave up?" Agent Haroldson stated, "They'd never do that. They know they're surrounded." John stated, "They are going to try and fight their way out. It's going to be a massacre." "So what you are suggesting?" John smiled, "We tell them that there is going to be a FBI raid in two hours. They should leave a few cars at a time so that the FBI won't get suspicious." Ed continued, "We arrest them as they leave. They only have two ways to turn out of the quarry. We put agents down the road each way." Agent Haroldson looked very surprised as he thought their plan through. He actually liked it. He nodded, "Okay, we'll do it your way." When the other agents arrived from the quarry, Agent Haroldson briefed them on how they were going to make the capture. Most of the agents looked very relieved at the change in plans. John and Ed weren't the only ones that didn't like the original plan. The agents discussed how to implement the new plan. The discussion was intense, but the details were worked out quite quickly. There were still two undercover agents inside and they could be used to deliver the message. With the number of agents present, there were many great ideas on how to execute the mission. The agents got into position. A call was made to the inside men. They were told to warn everyone that the FBI was planning to raid the rock quarry in two hours. In order to prevent anyone from getting suspicious, they were to leave a few cars at a time with half turning right and half turning left at the exit from the quarry. The agents located above the quarry notified them as each set of cars left the quarry. The agents used a rolling mechanism for arrest. The first cars out were stopped well down the road. Later cars were stopped closer to the quarry. The individuals inside the cars were quickly cuffed and moved into a bus. Each stop took about ten minutes to accomplish. Once a team was free, they would move further down the road to make the next stop. It was a very hectic hour and a half. Tow trucks came to take the cars to a holding area. Once everyone had been cuffed and put into a bus, the process of establishing identity began. Enough evidence had been found in the home of the leader of this group to convict nearly everyone they had stopped. It was now a matter of correlating the individuals with the crime. That activity would take place in a gymnasium that had been reserved for that purpose. John and Ed watched the proceedings. It was slow and took most of the day. The suspects were fingerprinted, photographed, and then transported to cells at various jails within the county. The sheer number of suspects prevented them from being incarcerated together. It would have also been a dangerous situation. Agent Haroldson came to John as the last suspects were being processed. He smiled as he stated, "Well, we've taken a lot of scum out of circulation. The list of crimes they are charged with will keep them in jail for years." John nodded and said, "There are still so many groups out there to catch yet." Agent Haroldson said, "I like the way you put together the whole case for huge groups of people before acting. We would have been arresting them one at a time for years as we gathered evidence about each individual case. The organization would probably still be operating ten years from now under that old model." Ed added, "That's the way he's always operated. Nothing happens for a long time and then everything comes together at once. It looks a lot more impressive than the slow but sure approach." "Different situations require different approaches," stated John. Agent Haroldson said, "You take the investigation in FBI to a new level." "Thank you. Your agents did an excellent job." John looked at Agent Haroldson for a minute. He stated, "I'm turning this case over to you now." "I understood that you would do that." "Good." John looked around at the last few suspects being led out of the building. He reached in the pocket of his robe and removed his badge and identification. He handed it over to Agent Haroldson stating, "I'm retiring today." Agent Haroldson looked at the badge in shock. "Pardon?" "I'm retiring. This was my last case." "There's still so much you can do to help us." John stated, "There's no time left for that. You will do well in the FBI. Ann Moore, Joe Fredricks, and Agent Mauz are now assistant deputy directors. I expect you will follow in the same career path." Agent Haroldson stated, "I appreciate your confidence, but I just got into this position." "You have time before you retire to move up a couple of levels yet." "Thanks." Ed nodded, "We're going to head back to the school. We have a lot of work to do over the next few days." "Okay. Thanks for your support and effort." "You're quite welcome." Agent Haroldson said, "I'll get an agent to drive you home." "Thank you." Ed left in search of a restroom. John stood alone watching. He was saddened by the number of people that held such strong hatreds of others different from themselves. He had hoped that with the energy problem solved that people would come to accept each other. Of course, he had known that hope was foolish. Agents started stopping by to shake his hand. The news that he was retiring had spread quickly among the individuals assembled there. Each agent told of his pleasure to have worked with him. Many stated that he was a legend within the Bureau. John thanked each one for his praise. Ed returned and stood at the back of the line of agents. When the agent in front of him moved out of the way, Ed stepped forward with his hand extended, "It has been an honor working with the great John Carter. I never thought I would get the chance." John was about to answer automatically only then realizing it was Ed. He cracked up laughing. Ed joined him, as did several other people around them. He hugged Ed and stated, "When Roman conquerors would ride through the city in honor, they had a man that stood behind him holding a laurel leaf crown over his head. The man would whisper in his ear a reminder that he was mortal and a man. I'm glad that you are standing behind me." Ed laughed, "I'll leave it up to Ling and Kelly to remind you that you are a man." The two men chuckled. John's bad mood had evaporated. He appreciated the efforts of Ed to remind him of the good parts of life. An agent came over and stated, "I'll drive you back to the College, sir." John laughed and said, "Don't call me sir. I'm John." "Yes, sir." Ed turned to John deciding to have a little fun with him. With a great big smile on his face, he said, "Well sir, it is time for us to leave, sir. Okay, sir?" John shook his head and followed the driver out to the car. He and Ed sat in the back watching the scenery go by. A little snippet of the Star Spangled Banner came from the front seat. The driver fumbled with his cell-phone before answering it. He talked for a minute and then stated, "Sir, a call for you." John accepted the cell-phone from the driver. Holding it to his ear, he stated, "Hello." Samuel Olim stated, "This is Sam." "Oh, we finished the arrest phase of the operation. I've turned it over the Agent Haroldson. They all did excellent work in pulling off the operation." "I know. That's not why I called, though." "What did you call about?" Samuel Olim was silent for a moment. He stated, "I understand you turned in your badge." "Yes, I'm retiring. There isn't enough time left for me to contribute any more. I was going to call you when I returned to the college." "I'm sorry we're losing you." "I'm sorry to be leaving. Working with the FBI and all of the fine agents within it has been one of the most rewarding things I have done. I will miss the opportunities to make a difference that the FBI has afforded me." John was telling the truth. His collaboration with the FBI had been very satisfying. He had made a difference in many lives because of his work with them. "Well, I'll be sending some items for you to keep. Little things to help you remember us." "Thank you, Sam. It has been a pleasure working with you." "Same here. Good bye, John." "Good bye, Sam." John ended the call and handed the cell-phone back to the driver. There was a little moisture in his eyes. It was nice to be appreciated. The driver stated, "Wow, the director himself called you. I'm impressed." "He and I got off to a rough start, but we get along alright now." "You must know some very important people." John smiled as he replied, "Yes, I do. There's Ed, Kelly, Ling, Leroy, and Linda. Then there are the kids. They are the most important people I know." "Who are they?" "They are my family." The driver went on in silence for a while. Finally, he asked, "You and Ed are married, right?" Ed nodded, "Yes we are." "Was it tough to defy convention like you did?" John answered, "For me it wasn't that difficult to accept a group marriage. I guess the hardest part was having sex with a man." "That was true for me too. In fact, our wife Kelly was the one who pulled it together. We had a lot of good times and some rough times. Probably the roughest was right after Betsy died." Ed was silent as he thought about how Beth had reacted to that. The driver asked, "Do all group marriages require the men to have sex with each other?" "No, it is up for the people in the marriage to decide what it will be like. Are you considering one?" "Yes I am." Ed stated, "In many ways a group marriage is a lot harder than a conventional marriage. You have to get along with more people. If you can't talk out your problems, the fights can really be big. Of course, when things are good there's nothing better than a group marriage. You come home after having a bad day at work and odds are that someone there knows what to say to cheer you up." The driver pulled onto the road to the college. It was only minutes before they were in the parking lot in front of the administration building. The agent turned around and extended his hand. "It has been a real honor talking to you both. I studied your white slavery ring case when I was in school. Amazing work, sir." John shook the hand, "It has been a pleasure meeting you." The agent extended his hand to Ed. "It was an honor meeting you, sir. I've read several of your cases too. Your name is very well known among treasury agents." Ed shook his hand. "It has been a pleasure meeting you. I wish you luck in your marriage." The agent smiled as John and Ed got out of the car. When they had reached the door of the administration building, he waved and drove off. John turned to Ed and said, "It's kind of strange to be treated like a legend." Ed laughed as he said, "I know what you mean. The last time I was in a Treasury Office, I had people offering to fetch me coffee. I swear, I was never so uncomfortable in my life." Ling came charging over to them. She looked at them with suspicion and asked, "Did you guys stay out of the way of the real cops?" Ed smiled and replied in a baby voice, "Yes, Mommy Ling. We were good boys." "Yes, Ed only wrested a hundred of the bad guys to the ground!" John joked. When he saw the look on Ling's face, he retracted his words, "Okay, we sat in the back and watched everything. It was so boring." Ling smiled and said, "Good for you." Ed's stomach growled extremely loudly. It sparked a similar noise in John. John frowned as he said, "We didn't have a chance to eat." Ling grabbed them both and pulled them to the dining in the first year dormitory. They sat down and a waitress immediately appeared. Ed and John ordered Tuna Fish sandwiches. They were waiting for them to be brought out when a young woman approached the table. She bashfully looked down at the table. In a whisper, she asked, "Could I ask you to help me get some relief?" John and Ed looked at each other not sure which one she was asking. Neither one of them really wanted to do it. They were both hungry for real food. The silence at the table stretched on. The young lady whispered, "Please ma'am, could you help me?" John and Ed smiled at each other, somewhat relieved. Ling looked embarrassed and then looked at the woman. She was only nineteen or twenty. Her oriental features mirrored Ling's. Ling looked at her and it was as if she were looking in a mirror only the image looking back was eighteen years younger. She smiled as the idea of making love to a younger version of her self interested her. She answered, "Sure." Ling stood up and moved the girl into a chair. She began by kissing her gently on the lips, taking her time to arouse the woman. She kissed her way down the woman's neck. Her efforts were rewarded by the visible blush indicating the woman's arousal. When Ling reached the woman's breasts, she lovingly kissed the hardened erect nipples. The woman began to moan loudly. John and Ed watched the older Ling do everything she could to arouse the younger woman. The younger woman's moans turned into small panting screams. Others in the room turned to watch, it was that difficult to ignore. Ling's kisses finally worked the way down between the woman's legs. The scent of the aroused woman was impossible to ignore. Even John and Ed, sitting several feet away, could smell the aroma of the excited woman. Ling kissed her way around the woman's pussy. The subject of her attentions was now screaming. When Ling touched the lips of the woman's pussy with her tongue, the woman erupted in a major orgasm. She let loose a scream that was worthy of the best that Ling had ever let loose. John and Ed looked at each other with a smile. Ling went to work on the woman's pussy. Her tongue slipped in and out of the woman's inner passage. As her excitement rose again to an orgasmic threshold, Ling turned her attention to the clit. Ling's head was locked between the excited woman's legs as she screamed out her orgasm. The scream was loud enough to bring others into the room to discover the source of the commotion. Finally, the woman's legs relaxed and Ling sat up with an amazed look on her face. It was hard to believe that a woman could produce that volume of sound because of sex. The woman slouched back in her chair almost unconscious. She moaned, "Oh, that was outstanding." Ling sat back on the floor between the woman's legs. She looked up at John and Ed, "It's an amazing feeling to have someone scream like that." As the woman recovered, she realized what had happened. She looked around very embarrassed. John leaned over to her and put a hand on hers, "You sounded exactly like Ling when she enjoys a sexual encounter. Don't be embarrassed. You have no idea how good it makes your partner feel to know that they were able to deliver that much pleasure." When she later left the room, people came up to her and told her how amazed they had been. Everyone was overwhelmed by the ability of her to accept pleasure. She smiled and nodded her thanks. For the entire year, she had avoided having sex because she had been ashamed of her screams during pleasure. Her performance in the dining room had brought more invitations than she thought possible. Ling joined John and Ed at the table. She was speechless. John kissed her, "We love you very much. You now know how much we love your screams during sex." ------- Chapter 23 John woke up in the middle of the room. His wives and husbands lay on the floor still sleeping. All of them were naked with arms and legs entwined in the bliss that followed their orgies. The orgy had started early the night before and had lasted until the early morning. John was the first to wake. It had always been that way. He took a moment to look at each one peacefully sleeping. It touched his heart. The orgy had started with John making love to Kelly. It had been tender and touching. She was his longest surviving wife and making love with Kelly had brought to mind the whole history of his life with her. He remembered when he met her in the hospital, the first time he had made love to her, and the wonder of raising a child with her. She had challenged the Goddess in the hope of protecting him and had become a power in her own right. She could heal others through love. He had then gone on to give Ed a blowjob. It was hard and forceful without foreplay, the kind of sex they had always shared. The night in the hotel after catching the serial killer had laid the foundation for the type of sex they had shared. The more intimate moments between them had occurred on the roof watching the sunset. Sex between them had always been a different kind of thing, one that he couldn't put into words. He and Ed had decided that they performed it more for the pleasure of the women than for themselves. Finishing Ed had not taken long, but he spent a lot more time with Ling. He had licked her through several orgasms before mounting her. She had screamed like the first time that they had made love. It always pleased him the way that she let her pleasure be known to anyone that cared to hear and even those who didn't. After Ling, Leroy took John in his ass. The sex had been forceful and long lasting. It was better having Leroy's cock in his ass than Ed's much bigger cock, despite the fact that Leroy tended to have much greater stamina and was more forceful. John's greatest times of intimacy with Leroy were hiking through the Arizona desert. Leroy was the only one in the family that enjoyed hiking as much as John did, although Kelly had come around a bit after her encounter with the Goddess. After Leroy, John made love with his Indian Maiden, Linda. She was the only woman whose virginity he had taken. It was easy for him to take a significant amount of time pleasuring her before he came the third and final time of the night. She ended up screaming as much as Ling. It was funny, but he felt closer to Linda at times than any of the others. Reflections about the previous night over, John wandered out of the room to make coffee for the others. It had been a long time since they had an orgy with all six of them present. It had been even longer since they had an after-orgy breakfast together. He went into the kitchen and started the coffee. He looked through the shelves and found a box of pancake mix. He smiled and started making the batter. The refrigerator had eggs and maple syrup. He had just poured the first pancake when Kelly came out for some coffee. She was followed by Leroy. She poured a cup for herself and then one for Leroy. They both had woken up in a chipper mood and were debating who would wake up next. They both looked up when Ed shuffled out half-asleep. He moved over to the coffeepot and poured a cup before shuffling to the table. He took a sip of the coffee as he sat down in the chair. John looked up stating in a good-natured voice, "I've always wondered how he could sit in a chair with that long tail of his." Kelly laughed and continued the joke by saying, "Yeah, I know what you mean. It sure is nice when he uses his cock and his tail during sex. It is just so unexpected having that tail rub you down there." Ed looked at them as if he were having trouble focusing. He asked, "What's unexpected?" Leroy answered, "Your tail." Ed grunted. John, Kelly, and Leroy laughed at the Ed's acknowledgement of having a tail. John relented, "Let's leave him alone until he wakes up." There were screams of pleasure coming from the other room. Kelly looked over at John, "Well, I guess our two screamers are awake." John continued to make pancakes and pile them up on a plate. Once he had finished all of the batter, he started on the eggs. The screams died out before the eggs were finished. He put an egg on each plate and then set the plates on the table. He went back to the plate of pancakes and carried it back to the table. Kelly got out utensils and set the table. Leroy got out the Maple Syrup and looked for powdered sugar. When he couldn't find any, he brought the syrup to the table and sat down. Ling and Linda soon came out of the bedroom. They poured themselves some coffee and joined everyone at the table. The conversation around the table flowed easily. There was happy teasing of Ed, who was still half-asleep, but now was working on his second cup of coffee. Linda stated, "It seems like forever since we've done this." Ling answered, "Almost six months." Ed, now almost awake, stated, "That's six months too long. I've really missed us being together like this." John listened to the conversation flowing around him. He was very happy that everyone could be here today. In a little while they would leave this suite and join the kids. Reverend Jones would have a chance to talk with Leroy. He and Ed would play a game of Hunt The Bug Eyed Monsters with all of the kids. For now, they could relax together. Ed had finally wakened fully. He asked, "What was that about a tail you were talking about earlier?" Kelly stated, "Oh, John was curious how you could sit at in the chair with your tail. He was curious why it wasn't in the way." Ed stated, "I don't have a tail." Everyone else at the table laughed. Ed realized they had been having fun at his expense earlier. He answered, "One, of these days I'm going to get all of you back." John smiled, "We love you." The conversation returned to subjects closer to everyone's hearts, namely they were worried about the children. All of the children demonstrated accelerated learning, yet retained the emotions of young kids. Beth possessed an incredible mathematical ability that stunned the professors in the school. Little John knew more about Biology than his professors. Wonderful chocolate brown Betsy was displaying Ling's physical abilities. William was still a mystery. He was able to learn what ever was put in front of him, but had not shown a passionate interest in any topic. John stated, "I have talked to Robert White Feather. He has agreed to take our children for a year starting this coming September." Linda stated, "I don't know if the reservation is the best place for them." Kelly agreed, "They should stay in school." Ling asked, "Why should they stay with strangers for a year?" Ed stated, "When William was still alive, John and I discussed this with him. We wanted the children to have a chance to learn the respect that William had instilled in his children." "It's for their own good. They have learned to treat people with respect and tolerance. They need to learn more about nature and to treat it with respect. They also need to see a little of the real world. Their life here and at home is very sheltered. They need to see kids running and playing and arguing." John looked at each of his wives. Ling stated, "You are right. They will be victims to others who have no tolerance or respect. The reservation is a good place to learn that. There is still a lot of anger there and, yet, it is safe. They will see and learn prejudice." Linda agreed with part of it but disagreed with it. She countered, "They will encounter a lot of anger there." Kelly stated, "Okay. I approve." Linda turned on Kelly and asked, "Why? I want our kids at home with us." Kelly shook her head and answered "Think of the childhood that you had and the lessons about people that it taught you. Life with us doesn't teach those lessons. However, they are important lessons. We would cheat them by keeping them away from it." Ling nodded her agreement and said, "My training under my father was very protected. My father sent me to live with my Uncle when I was young. I saw my first gang fight there and realized the value of my education under my father. My Uncle was burglarized while I was there. I learned much while I was there." "They should know how to deal with bullies. I know, I used to be one. Those kids wouldn't last a day against a real bully. Well, except for Betsy. She'd tear one apart like they were made of straw. Again, that's not the best way to respond." John smiled, "Ed, those days are a long time in the past for you." "I still remember what I did to people." Linda frowned as she realized that she was the last holdout. Their arguments were persuasive and she couldn't find fault in them. Their home was very unusual in the lack of conflict. She also realized that her brother wasn't exactly a stranger. She decided, "Okay, I'll go along with you." John stated, "You know. I think this might be the chance for William to discover his passion." Linda frowned and stated, "he's only four." John smiled as he said, "I know he's only four. He's going on five and is as smart as a whip. He's the deepest of the children and will go the farthest of them all." Leroy nudged him in the shoulder and said "Admit it, he's your favorite." The good-natured jest was taken that way, but John answered seriously. "You know, each one of them is special. It's impossible to favor one over the other. The Gods and Goddesses really blessed us with our children." That comment brought the end to the breakfast discussion. They went into the orgy room and dressed. They left the suite and joined the children in their regular quarters. Reverend Jones had enjoyed the evening with his grandchildren. Leroy and his father left the room talking about the strange paths that their lives had taken. The kids swarmed over John and Ed shouting, "Time to go hunting." John said, "Really?" "You promised we could go hunting!" Ed and John laughed. Ed stated, "Okay kids!" William and Beth joined John on one couch while little John and Betsy joined Ed on another couch. John and Ed were pilots while the kids shot at the Bug Eyed Monsters. John shouted out, "Kids, watch out. We've hit a swarm of them." Beth asked, "Should we use the grenade guns?" Little John made a clicking noise as if he was talking over a walkie-talkie. "Ship two to Ship one. We should be using grenade guns. There are just too many of them." Betsy screamed in pleasure, "I love the grenade guns. KABOOM." The other kids followed shouting loud KABOOMs as well. Ed made a clicking noise, "Ship two to Ship one. There's too much space debris here. We are going to hit turbulence any second now." Everyone made gestures as if they were strapping into their seats. John shouted, "Oh no! Turbulence." Everyone made rocking motions from side to side. William shouted out, "Our horizontal stabilizer has gone out." Everyone in ship one started swaying from side to side in exaggerated motions. John shouted, "I'm going to have to cut the engines!" Beth made a clicking noise, "Ship one to ship two. Our horizontal stabilizer has gone out. We are dead in space. Protect us from the Bug Eyes while we fix it." The two kids left the couch, walking as if they were weightless. They moved around to the back of the couch and started making noises as if they were repairing it. They talked to each other as they worked, discussing the repairs that they were making. It was a running commentary of opening the hatch, removing some parts, locating the bad part, and replacing it. Meanwhile, ship two engaged a large number of Bug Eyes. As they laughed and joked, the women were in the other room listening to them. Ling laughed almost the whole time. Linda and Kelly were convinced that Ling would have joined them, even if she had to be a Bug Eyed Monster. Linda laughed while saying, "Listen to those two grown men. They are little boys at heart!" Kelly laughed and teased "Oh, you weren't saying that last night." They giggled as they talked of the evening before. The time slowly moved up to eleven in the morning. The kids looked at the clock and knew that their time with their dads was almost over. When the clock hit eleven, the kids stopped playing. They all came to John and hugged him tightly. John looking fondly at his children stated, "I love each and every one of you." Beth stated, "We know you love us daddy. We love you too." Little John stated, "We know that you have a final service to perform today." Betsy looked sad as she said, "You will watch over us, but we'll still miss you." William sat quietly for several moments. Everyone turned to look at him. He finally broke the silence, "The Gods and Goddesses marked you for greatness. You have never failed them. We are proud of you daddy." John hugged all the kids and told each one individually that he loved them. He was touched by their understanding. He hoped that they would be able to deal with the events as they unfolded. The kids left the room to locate their mothers. They would have a quick bite to eat while he prepared for the ritual. John went to the window and looked outside. The sky was overcast and dark; it looked like rain. Ed stood next to him and looked at the sky. He shook his head disgusted at the weather. He stated, "It looks like rain." John replied, "It won't rain." At a few minutes before noon on Midwinter's day, all of the Druids, the students, and the whole Carter clan were gathered at the clearing. Everyone was dressed, even the first year students wore blue robes. They stood outside the circle of trees. The clearing, inside the circle of trees, was empty. The ground was covered by dull brown grass littered with dry leaves. The air was still, but carried a tension of something about to break loose. A news crew had come to film the ritual in the hopes of getting fill time on the news. The cameraman had put a cover over the camera in the hopes of keeping the rain off the lens. The reporter had already recorded a simple introduction to the event. John entered the clearing. He was dressed in his brown robes, gray cloak, and carrying his walking stick. The light of the walking stick was on. He presented himself as a small figure dominated by the size of the clearing. A wind started to blow. His cloak flapped in the wind. John walked to the northern end of the clearing. Lowering the lit end of the walking stick to the ground, he traced a circle around the entire clearing moving in a clockwise direction. As he walked, the wind picked up in a swirling pattern until it filled the clearing. Closing the circle, John walked to the center of the clearing and pointed his walking stick to the north. He shouted, "Let all evil leave this area!" As he shouted, a meteor came through the clouds above and crashed into the northern end of the clearing. It buried most of itself in a crater leaving a small portion above ground level. The observers of the ritual stepped back in amazement. The dirt kicked up joined the debris swirling in the air around the clearing. John walked to the eastern end of the clearing, and lowered the walking stick so that the light was just above the ground. He traced a second circle around the clearing moving in a clockwise situation. The wind picked up even more. Closing the circle, he stepped back into the center of the clearing. He shouted, "Protect this area from evil!" Again, a meteor appeared through the clouds above and buried itself in the eastern side of the clearing. A small portion of the meteor remained above ground. The observers reacted just as strongly as before. The wind inside the clearing picked up even more. John walked to the southern end of the clearing and using that as the starting point traced a third circle around the clearing. He stepped to the center of the clearing and shouted, "Make this area invisible to evil!" When he shouted, he pointed the walking stick to the southern point. A third meteor hit the point. The wind picked up even more. It was swirling around the clearing forming a cylindrical wall of dirt and leaves. John was barely visible inside. John walked to the western end of the clearing. He drew another circle around the clearing. Returning to the center of the clearing, He shouted, "Make this area a fortress against evil!" A fourth meteor crashed into the ground at the western end of the clearing. The wind picked up even more. Outside the clearing, where the observers stood, the wind was only gently blowing. By now, John was a ghostly looking figure inside the clearing. Inside the clearing, the wind was a gale. John's cloak swirled around him. He stood there with both arms raised, the sleeves of his robe fell back exposing his bare forearms. He raised the walking stick to the sky. He shouted, barely heard above the wind, "I give my love and my life to the Gods and Goddesses to sanctify this area." As his shouted died, a bolt of lightening came down from the sky and struck the walking stick. Fingers of electricity walked down the stick, enveloping John. When the lightening ended, John was gone. A small pile of ashes remained. The wind picked up the ashes. As people watched, the ashes appeared to form faces in the center of the clearing. A woman's face appeared, smiling upon the clearing. That was replaced by a man's rugged face. Then a face appeared that seemed to combine the features of both male and female. It lingered for several minutes. The faces disappeared as the wind spread the ashes across the clearing. The wind died with an abruptness that was shocking. The clouds overhead dissipated within minutes. The sky was blue and bright. The temperature dropped a few degrees. It was suddenly a beautiful winter morning. The crowd of observers stood still, looking into the clearing. There was no doubt that this was now a holy place. It took a little longer for the fact of John's death to sink in. Ling, Linda, and Leroy wept at the loss of their husband. Ed and Kelly stood looking into the clearing. The children were quiet and waved farewell to their father. The news reporter had turned to the cameraman and excitedly asked, "Did you get it all?" The shocked cameraman was numbly nodding. He wasn't sure what he had captured on the camera. He hoped that what he had seen through the lens was captured on the tape. If so, then he had made history. He had just shot the most amazing scene ever captured on film. His hands shook as he turned the camera towards the reporter. The reporter adjusted his hair in an attempt to look professional. He was about to make a statement when the cameraman stated, "Hold on. Something else is going on." The Druids entered the clearing breaking into four groups. To the west stood the Red robed Druids. To the east stood the Green robed Druids. To the south stood the Black robed Druids. Ed stepped to the front of the group of Black robed Druids. In the center, stood two Druids that wore two gray robes. Oliver Brown walked across the clearing to stand in front of the smoking meteor to the north. He wore the Brown robe that indicated that he served all of the Gods and Goddesses. He shifted uncomfortably, disliking all of the attention that he was receiving. A green robed Druid stepped forward and shouted, "We who serve the Goddess greet you, Oliver Brown." A red robed Druid stepped forward and shouted, "We who serve the God greet you, Oliver Brown." Ed stepped forward and shouted, "We who serve the Two-Sided One greet you, Oliver Brown." The three of them stated together, "We recognize you and name you as the Grand Druid." All of the Druids gathered there performed a half bow in the direction of Oliver Brown. Slowly, Oliver returned the half bow. He had known that he was the most likely successor to John Carter, but had not expected it to occur so soon. He stated, "I thank you for this honor. I shall do my best to live up to the high standard that John Carter set." The Druids came up and introduced themselves to the new Grand Druid. Ed was the last one to greet him. It was a very solemn moment for each. Oliver stated, "You have a position here if you want it." Ed frowned as he replied, "I'll stay here until September and then return to Arizona with my family. The children are taking a year off from their education." Oliver nodded his understanding. "You are an invaluable resource, but you must follow your heart. This has been a hard day for you and your family." Ed and Kelly returned to the rest of the family. The children were huddled around Ling, Linda, and Leroy giving them comfort. Ling was devastated and could only sit on the ground crying. Linda and Leroy were in shock. Ed and Kelly helped take everyone to their suite for privacy in dealing with their grief. The children were remarkably untouched by his death. The news that night covered his death as the major news story of the day. They told the story of his life. They traced his history as lifesaver. Some of the people that he had saved gave interviews describing how he had affected their lives. Harry, a retired EMS employee, was a favored guest on some channels. He was entertaining and routinely referred to John as Hero. They told how he had received a doctorate in physics. Many stations concentrated on his role as the inventor of the Fusion Battery and Fusion Cell. This had given him a lot of money that could have been used for many purposes. The only purpose, to which it had been put, had been to support his family and to serve mankind. The national cable networks explored his activities as special agent for the FBI. His role in breaking of several major cases brought forth more witnesses that praised John for his dedication. Victims that he had rescued told of the kind of life from which they had been saved. There was a lot of talk about how he founded the Fusion Foundation by giving away almost all of his money. This was the most visible activity in which John had engaged. Representatives of the Fusion Foundation stated that John had arranged for eternal funding, so that the foundation could continue its work even after his death. Many of news stations talked about his role as Grand Druid. They talked about how he had taken a hidden organization and brought it to the public eye. People that had investigated the Druids had all stated the results of their investigations. The consensus was that it was a humanitarian organization; one in which members actively worked to make the world a better place. Representatives from the two Colleges that he founded told their stories. Native Americans told how he had helped them regain past traditions. Individual graduates told how they had futures now that had once been denied them. Students of the Druid college told how they would graduate with an extremely good education. Everyone interviewing them was impressed when told of the types of courses that they had taken. The telephones at the College started ringing off the hook with people wanting to interview the graduating students for jobs. The biggest topic in the news concerned his death. The film of the ceremony was played repeatedly, as people tried to make rational explanations for what it showed. Professional magicians claimed that there was no way to pull off a trick of that magnitude. Scientists claimed that such a sequence of events was statistically impossible. The most touching interview had been taped right after John's death. William had gone to the reporter. A little boy, five years of age, stood facing the camera. He stated, "My father died in the service of the Gods and Goddesses after having lived his whole life serving them. We are proud of him for his accomplishments. He has given the world a great gift by this great sacrifice. The world is a better place because he lived and is a lesser place because he is gone. We loved him and now we shall miss him. That is all we have to say about the matter." In a way, isn't this the best legacy that one can leave after a full life? That the world was a better place because you were in it and that it is now a lesser place because you are gone; that those around you loved you and will miss you. If one person can say that about you in total honesty, then you can enter heaven. The key to open heaven's gates is so simple that we have to ask ourselves why so many people fail to find it. ------- The End ------- Posted: 2004-07-03 ------- http://storiesonline.net/ -------